anti-social media club?

a look into my slow marketing plan

To say I’ve been trying to make sense of my relationship with social media for years is an understatement. Back in 2022 I made this video after struggling with sleep issues, burnout, and comparisonitis due to chronic social media usage. Late last year, I deleted my X (Twitter) account — one of my oldest social media platforms — because I just couldn’t even with its owner’s ego-driven decisions anymore.

And if I didn’t make my living helping people build their businesses with social media, the third quiet-part-out-loud statement would have pushed me off Meta platforms entirely. A couple weeks ago, I learned that Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced drastic changes to their content moderation process, ones that mimicked the changes employed by Elon Musk at X.

Then came the TikTok “ban”. A 14 hour window of hysteria that ended up with an in-app promotion painting a President as a hero and in turn, all of us as pawns.

Now listen, I don’t mind giving credit where credit’s due. However, it’s my personal opinion that social media shouldn’t be a tool for propaganda — or suppression — of any views, so long as posts don’t contain threats or hate speech. I follow media and pundits on the left and the right, and I value both perspectives, as well as those in between. But just like you can’t yell, “fire” in an airport, it’s my belief that we must have safeguards around forces that are this powerful.

But let’s be clear: my career pivot isn’t happening just because of a bunch of billionaires.

The term ‘beat the algorithm’ has always elicited a visceral response from me. TikTok has almost instantly given me a headache each of the few times I’ve scrolled it. I’ve been burned out by Instagram since the algorithmic feed took over, and I’ve felt a calling to lean more into IRL marketing, long-form/high-value content, and email for years.

So here’s what I’ve decided:

• Personally, I’ll be deprioritizing Instagram and leaning further into YouTube and podcasting, as well as (clearly 😅) relaunching my Substack. In addition to industry commentary and business insights, I’ll be posting personal updates for those who choose to sign up for my paid tier. Look forward to the silly posts you’re used to seeing on Instagram, as well as some writing (I’m working on one called, “I Got Divorced and Dumped In The Same Day”. It should be… something.)

• I’m reopening my calendar for content production services and aiming to open a physical podcast/video studio by Q3 of this year. I believe that in today’s online landscape, this type of content has the highest likelihood of weathering the storm and feels the most in line with the values I know many of us share. If you have interest in starting a podcast, YouTube channel, blog, or email strategy, feel free to book some time to have a (totally free) chat about it.

• I also relaunched and rebranded my membership community. The Freelance Friday Club is now The Video Creator Collective, and it’s a space that’s welcome to all. As long as you like to make videos, that is! Whether you’re a pro or a newbie, an influencer or a filmmaker — join me for weekly co-working sessions, monthly feedback sessions, an always-on community forum, and a regular drop of new content ideas.

• I’ll still be teaching my social media management class for at least another round, because I have a community that looks to me for support and I have knowledge I know I’m able to share. I believe that we’re at a challenging point in the history of social media, and I know it’ll be easier to navigate together than alone. I’m currently revising my lesson plans to be relevant for the massive changes we’re experiencing, and the next round of live classes starts on February 3rd. You can sign up here.

• I’m working feverishly on a new class that teaches the fundamentals of my slow marketing strategy (long-form content, email, website…) and will announce that soon. In the meantime, consider joining the Collective to access Authority on Autopilot replays, which make for a good primer.

I’ll leave you with my inspiration of the moment, by way of Gracie Abrams and Zane Lowe. Listen here.

When discussing the songwriting process for her latest album, she shared that she was worried no one would care about her small, trivial problems.

I think his response is a good reminder that small, trivial problems are often experienced at scale and that your art may be the thing someone needs to get them through it.

x, Latasha