Is Social Media Still Necessary for Business Growth in 2026?
Will Your Business Suffer If You Use Social Media Less?
As audiences spend less time on social media feeds, this piece explores what happens when you post less—and how people want to hear from you in 2026.
“Offline is the new luxury” is one of those phrases people use to nod along to, 20-minutes deep into their third doom scroll of the day.
But recently, this is more than just an aspirational line on a graphic.
We’ve seen enough nervous system regulation and mindset content to know our presence is our power. And giving it to the algorithms just doesn’t feel like a smart trade anymore.
As Pretty Little Marketer recently put it, “Offline is the new luxury” is now a full blown lifestyle that, as you’ll soon discover, your audience and customers are adopting faster than LaBuBus.
This week we’ll cover:
The Great Social Media Exodus of 2026
Will your business suffer if you use social media less?
Is Social Media A Must For Business Growth in 2026?
Substack’s top-earning newsletters are those offering a distinct, dependable voice, suggesting readers are turning away from free algorithmic content they no longer trust. (Source: Substack)
What's going on here? Back in December 2023, Gartner predicted half of social media users would abandon or severely limit their time on the platforms.
We’re not there—yet, but even though the popular advice is to “post more,” the data shows, more of your audience won’t be there to see it.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t want to hear from you.
In fact, they’d prefer to hear from you directly—in newsletters, Substacks, and private communities away from the prying eyes of the algorithm.
What the data tells us:
1. Reach and engagement are dropping — and it’s not your fault.
Reach and engagement are dropping because people are spending less time on the major platforms, not because you are doing anything wrong. Meta’s filings show declining time spent on Instagram for users over 25, and TikTok’s watch-time growth slowed sharply in 2024 (Sensor Tower). Advertising and AI-generated continues to outrank organic posts in the feed, and average brand reach on Instagram has fallen below 10%.
2. People want to read your newsletter.
Success for today’s audiences is less about what they have, and more about who they are. Content fatigue may have them logging off social media, but they are still searching for people and brands who help them get a transformation. They’re signing up for newsletters, reading blog posts, tuning into podcasts, and watching YouTube videos for deeper connections with voices and ideas that move them to action. If you sometimes feel too aware, too discerning, too nuanced for social media —hold that line. It will be your greatest strength in 2026. Substack doubling to 20M monthly active readers shows demand for slower, intentional formats, and email remains the most trusted communication channel across every age group (Nielsen).
3. Untrustworthy feeds are pushing people into private communities.
AI-generated content and copied expert voices have made it harder for users to distinguish what’s real, and many are choosing smaller, more controlled environments instead. Think: memberships and other private communities. Deloitte’s 2024 Digital Consumer Trends found a rise in “social fatigue” and a clear preference for “small, safe digital spaces.”
For small brands and businesses with limited resources, this means it's time for an honest look at where you’ll devote your time, energy, and sense of purpose in 2026.
Audiences have told us where they'll be.
The question is…
Will Your Business Suffer If You Don't Use Social Media?
The idea of needing social media to grow online is a myth.
Are among the coaches, service providers, and digital product creators who have built profitable, popular, and impactful business completely off social media over the last three years.
But it doesn't have to be an all or nothing decision.
I was reflecting on my currently extended social media break, while in North Carolina for a mastermind with an entrepreneurial pal over the weekend.
Unconventional Leaders podcast host and content creator Heather Parady and I masterminding in North Carolina.
I opened the app to show her that my monthly view dropped by more than 100,000 in just a few weeks—yet AI Chat Bots like ChatGPT started recommending my story-driven blog content and course, welcoming in 15 new students and dozens more newsletter subscribers while I posted zilch to social media.
The experience has us both questioning the narrative we are fed:
“More is a must when it comes to showing up online—and your livelihood depends on how much you do.”
What about you?
Has posting lost its appeal?
Are you sick of getting sucked into the doom scroll?
Comment and let me know—
Could offline be your new luxury lifestyle?
Cyndi, Founder of StoryCraft
Cyndi Zaweski is an award-winning journalist turned brand narrative strategist. She helps experts use storytelling and intentional marketing to build a body of work that so they can be remembered for what they say, not how often they post.
