Detaching Digitally (Kind Of...)

There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for detaching from the digital world for all companies and individuals. Some industries are completely reliant on it and it simply is what it is.

I’m only sharing my experience from a construction consulting firm. Thankfully, we still live in an age where the in-person meeting, the personal connection and reputations built on word of mouth do exist. So, for as long as that lasts, we will take full advantage of this. Making client calls, attending trade shows in person, things like this are what I’m referring to.

We got caught up in the digital age- partially because anything new is fun to be part of, but also because we don’t want to be the stubborn old dinosaurs that are left behind because we refuse to adapt to changing times. So, we have had company accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and just about every other public platform out there- grasping for our little slice of the digital pie. Constant posts, engagement with others, keeping up with the digital Joneses, etc.

What we have noticed though, and in speaking with others they feel the same way, is that most of our business comes from word of mouth- repeat business and referrals. In other words, working the clients we have. If one client goes away, we ask our other clients if they can recommend anyone that may be looking for our services- and more times than not the answer is yes.

We have gained most of our clients, and kept them, by maintaining real relationships. We have only had a few one-off types of engagements from social media posts. The rest have come from meeting people in person (lately over zoom), getting to know them and building trust the old-fashioned way.

All the time and mental energy spent maintaining a digital presence has for the most part been for naught. And it is super draining. Just think of all the hours we spend personally on social media platforms. What do you actually gain from it? For us it was nothing of any lasting substance. Temporary distractions that only took away time from things that really mattered.

Sure, when new clients consider using us, it helps to maintain a website so they can go see who/what they are dealing with- and so we have that in place- enough to showcase our experience, abilities, and services. But past that, we have found that ditching the digital and using that time, money, and energy to engage the old-fashioned way allows us to be our most focused, present, healthiest and happiest selves.

Could this change in the future? Sure, and we will adapt as necessary, but for now, we have found it to be an unnecessary additional time suck that had only yielded mental anguish from the pressure of constantly checking, posting, maintaining, making sure we don’t say something stupid that will go on our permanent record, etc.

Do I realize the irony of addressing this with a blog post on LinkedIn? Of course, but right now, aside from in person conversations about the topic, this is the only way we see possibly reaching others- and it will only most likely reach a few that already know us. So, we are going to detach- from all social media and from all the pressures of keeping up and refocus on what matters and what works- maintaining real connections. It could all backfire, but it is worth a shot to regain some time and sanity. You can’t whistle while you work if you are too busy comparing your whistle to others and making sure that everyone saw that you whistled at least once today and that your whistling was done using a ‘trending’ tune.