I hear from small business owners all the time who tell me the same thing: “I just don’t know what to post.”
I used to take that sentence at face value. But after more than a year of running Content Happy Hour, I’ve learned it’s rarely actually true. Most business owners know exactly what they do, who they help and why it matters. What they don’t know is whether it’s “good enough” to put in front of an audience.
“I don’t know what to post” is often covering for a more stressful feeling of “I’m scared to post.”
Fear hides behind excuses that sound a lot more logical.
“I don’t have time.”
“I’m not sure what my audience wants.”
“I don’t know what to post.”
“It doesn’t matter that much anyway.”
“My audience won’t even see this stuff.”
And the fear isn’t one-size-fits-all. For some people, it’s the fear of being called made fun of, or getting it wrong publicly, permanently and on the internet. For others, it’s not being able to hit “publish” until it’s flawless, so it just… never gets published. Gen-Z might be experiencing this feeling more than others, but there’s certainly some proof that the feeling is real, and you’re not alone. No one wants to be shamed or become the joke of a meme you can’t live down without the help of Daniel Tosh. It’s sorta sad really. People brace for it before they’ve typed a single word, whether or not it’s actually coming.
Many Faces of the Same Fear
I’ll bet a version of this internal monologue feels familiar:
- What if I sound silly?
- What if nobody engages, and everyone else can see that nobody engaged?
- What if this isn’t as polished as your competitor?
None of that is a content strategy problem. That’s a form of imposter-syndrome, which has been around for decades (centuries?). It’s natural to fear being “found out,” not measuring up, or worrying your success (or your good post that got a ton of likes) was actually a fluke. And business owners get hit with it constantly, often the ones who are actually best at what they do.
Overthinking Isn’t the Same Thing as Preparing
Here’s the trap: overthinking feels productive. Rewriting the same caption for the ninth time feels like “working on your business.” It isn’t. It’s stalling.
It’s a little like standing backstage, fully in costume, hair and makeup done, lines memorized,,, and just never walking out from behind the curtain. From where you’re standing, it feels like you’re still rehearsing. From everyone else’s seat, the show has come to a screeching halt.
Stanford researchers have found that anxiety plays a much bigger role in whether people share things online than most of us assume, and it’s not limited to hot-button opinions. It shows up around perfectly ordinary posts too, the kind you’d think wouldn’t feel risky at all.
That doesn’t mean you have to stay stuck there.
You Don’t Need More Ideas. You Need a Safer Room to Try Them In.
What you need is a space where “good enough” is allowed to exist, and where posting doesn’t feel like walking out from behind that curtain completely alone. And if you could snal your fingers and make it happen you’d probably also fill it with supportive colleagues and professionals you can truly be inspired by.
That’s the entire idea behind Content Happy Hour.
For sixty minutes you’ll be creating alongside other business owners who feel exactly the same way you do, and receive real support that can comfortably get you pushing “publish” instead of using “save as draft” for ever and ever.
Sign Up Now
If “I don’t know what to post” has actually meant “I’m afraid to post” for longer than you’d like to admit, you’re allowed to say that part out loud. It’s a lot more common than everyone else’s feed makes it look.
You don’t need to feel ready. You just need a room that makes it easier to start.
Come sit with us at an upcoming Content Happy Hour session in Las Vegas. We’ll help you get the content made, and just as important, help you actually post it.
Not local to Vegas? We’ve got a solution for you also. Reach out and ask for a social media marketing audit and we’ll help you build the confidence and the plan remotely, from wherever you are.
