Don't Post for the Sake of Posting
After watching me schedule another week of Instagram content, a friend reminded me, "Posting to Instagram and not getting a direct call-back isn't productive marketing. It's just noise."
She was right. I'd fallen into the trap so many of us do—mistaking activity for impact, presence for connection.
It called me back to my greatest marketing belief: relationship marketing is the most powerful form of business development. It results in genuine connection and understanding. It creates referrals that sound like "I have a friend who can help you," instead of "check out this highly-rated business I found online."
The Real Cost (And Reward)
Here's what relationship marketing demands: time. Real, unrushed, human time. It requires meetings and coffee dates, phone calls and conversations where we talk about more than the work at hand. Where we ask about their kids' soccer games, their recent vacation, what keeps them up at night beyond their marketing metrics.
And yes, this approach doesn't scale the way an Instagram algorithm does. You can't automate a coffee date or outsource genuine curiosity about someone's story. Which is exactly why most businesses chase the digital dopamine hit instead—it feels more efficient, more modern, more "scalable."
But here's what I've learned working this way: when a client reaches out for a new website, they're not just requesting a site that converts. They're asking to be understood. They want their story told fully and professionally. They need someone who gets their voice, their style, the precise language their audience speaks.
And you can't learn that from a creative brief alone. You learn it over coffee. You learn it in the pauses between business talk. You learn it when they light up telling you about the pivot that changed everything or the customer email that made them cry.
Your Digital Front Door
Now, this doesn't mean abandoning your online presence entirely. Think of your digital footprint as the front door to your business—it should be welcoming and credible for the relationships you're actively building.
When someone you've connected with wants to refer you, they'll check your website first. When that coffee date lead Googles you before your meeting, what will they find?
Here's the minimum viable digital presence to support your relationship marketing:
Have a social media presence that feels human. Post genuinely—share what you're learning, proof of your work, things that excite both you and your clients. Don't perform relevance; be relevant in conversations that matter to you.
Claim and maintain your Google Business Profile. Ask customers you've built real relationships with to leave reviews. Make it easy for them.
Feature those reviews on your website. Let your relationships speak for you when you can't be in the room.
Consider a blog, newsletter, or case study page where you share stories and insights. Not for SEO, but because it extends the conversation beyond a single coffee date. It gives your relationships something to point to when they're recommending you.
These aren't competing strategies with relationship marketing—they're the supporting infrastructure. The stage, not the performance.
Permission to Slow Down
So, here's your permission: slow down. Schedule that coffee date with a potential client. Call an existing customer just to check in, no agenda attached. Ask about more than work.
In a world optimizing for reach, optimize for depth instead.
The businesses built on genuine relationships don't just survive algorithm changes and platform shifts—they thrive regardless of them. Because when you've invested in real human connection, your marketing lives in the hearts and minds of people who genuinely want to see you succeed.
That's something no content calendar can replicate.
We'd love to hear from you: Send us a note letting us know what relationship you'll nurture and how you'll do so. Is it a coffee date with a past client? A phone call to someone you've been meaning to reconnect with? Share your plan—we're cheering you on.
