How Our Consistency Obsession Created the Burnout Economy
Social media gurus, marketing influencers, and the platforms themselves have convinced an entire generation of business owners that 'consistent posting' is the key to growth. But this advice—designed for content creators, e-commerce brands, and businesses that require massive reach—has created burned-out service providers who are feeding content machines that were never designed for their business model.
Let me ask you something: How many wedding photographers do you need to follow? How many therapists? How many custom furniture makers?
If you're like most people, the answer is probably zero—until you need one. And when you do, you're not scrolling through feeds looking for whoever posted most recently. You're asking friends, searching locally, and looking for someone who feels right for your specific situation.
THE CAPACITY REALITY
Most service providers can only handle a handful of clients at a time. You're not building a business that needs thousands of customers—you need 10, maybe 20 really good ones.
Yet we still feel the pressure to post consistently to remain “visible” - and feel bad when we don’t?
The consistent posting playbook works for businesses built on volume. But if your revenue comes from deep client relationships and high-value projects, you're exhausting yourself following advice meant for someone else.
THE EXHAUSTION OF ARTIFICIAL URGENCY
“Post consistently or you'll lose momentum!"
"The algorithm rewards daily content!"
"Your audience will forget about you!"
This advice has created a generation of service providers frantically creating content for people who aren't even looking for their services. The platforms need you posting daily to keep users scrolling. But your business? Your business needs something entirely different.
WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERS FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS
Instead of chasing consistency, focus on these three things:
1. Refer-ability Over Visibility
Your past clients are worth more than your next 1,000 followers. While social media converts at an average of 1.5%, referrals convert at 3.74% - that's 2.5x better!
Build systems to stay connected with past clients. Send quarterly check-ins. Remember their anniversaries. Be the person they think of when someone asks for a recommendation.
This is what compounding growth actually looks like—not daily posts that disappear in 24 hours.
2. Search-ability Over Social Presence
When someone needs your service, where do they look? Google. Your website. Local directories. Make sure you show up there, looking professional and trustworthy.
A well-optimized website with clear messaging will bring you more clients than posting daily on platforms where your ideal clients might not even be active.
3. Quality Connections Over Quantity Content
One meaningful email to your list of 200 people will outperform a viral post seen by 10,000 strangers every single time.
Build relationships with complementary businesses. Show up at local events. Join professional networks. Have actual conversations with actual humans who might actually need your services.
One meaningful referral from a past client is worth more than a thousand followers who scroll past your content.
WHAT CONSISTENT REALLY LOOKS LIKE
True consistency for service providers isn't about posting frequency. It's about:
Consistently delivering excellent work
Consistently following up with past clients
Consistently showing up where your clients actually are
Consistently being easy to find when someone needs you
Notice what's missing from that list? Daily content creation.
THE REAL QUESTION
Instead of asking "How often should I post?" ask:
-How can I make my current clients so happy they can't help but refer me?
-Where do my ideal clients go when they actually need my service?
-What would make someone choose me over my competitors when they're ready to buy?
Your business doesn't need to be everywhere. It needs to be exactly where it matters, when it matters, for the people who matter.
If you're reading this thinking: 'But I'm exhausted by the consistency demands but don't know how else to grow my business,' you're not alone. The good news? There are other ways to build that work with your natural energy, not against it.
The platforms profit from your exhaustion. They need you posting daily to keep users scrolling. But your business doesn't need you to feed their algorithm. Your business needs you to build genuine relationships with the people who actually matter.
— Caitlin Backeris
Full Excerpt from Field Notes. This is where I share what I'm learning about building businesses that grow through depth, not noise. If this resonates, subscribe here to get new essays in your inbox.
At Fore Folk, we design brands and build systems for businesses who believe the same. Explore our work →
