It has been 9 months since I quit Facebook, deactivating both my business page and my personal profile. I’ve received a lot of questions about how I’m liking it and if I’d recommend it. So, let’s break it down – the good, the bad and the ugly (spoiler: there is no ugly) – shall we?

My business did not die when I quit Facebook. 

This was by far my biggest worry, but the worry was completely unnecessary. Since I’ve quit Facebook I’ve actually seen a spike in my business. That being said, I’d never booked a client through Facebook and I knew the majority of my clients weren’t heavy Facebook users, or at least that’s not how they searched for products and services. Most of my inquiries come from Google and referrals, so not being on Facebook hasn’t made a difference in initial inquiries.

I am more productive.

I realize this was totally my own fault before, but I used to waste so much time on Facebook. I’d get caught up in a weird article that had been shared or scrolling through the zillion groups I was in. I’d give advice when I really didn’t need to and would get going in a messenger conversation when I didn’t have time for it. I now find myself having so much more productive ‘work’ time and I’m not distractedly getting on the internet or reading useless buzzfeed articles.

Managing Instagram became easier.

Once I only had one social media platform to focus on, it became so much easier to manage. I now focus solely on posting quality content to Instagram instead of having unique content for both Facebook and Instagram. I was able to actually pay attention and put thought into IG Stories, which I happen to love but wasn’t doing before as it was all too overwhelming. I’m also so much better at setting time limits on Instagram and so I don’t find that I get sucked in as easily as I did on Facebook. I set the timer on my phone and will fall down the Instagram rabbit hole only until my timer goes off.

I can’t have a business Instagram profile.

This is one that I didn’t realize at all until I tried to switch my personal Instagram to a business Instagram profile. Did you know you need a FB business page to have an IG business page? This means I can’t have that ‘contact’ button or the Stories highlights on my IG profile. It also means I can’t see any statistics or ever boost an Instagram post. Just this past week I actually started to create a new Facebook profile and business page so that I could switch my Instagram to a business profile and boost a post, but after I did it I just felt so gross about it that I deleted it all again. I know, that seems a bit high drama, but I could just feel how I was contorting to these rules that I was supposed to follow and I didn’t want to do it. It means I have to get more creative with my marketing and put more effort into my newsletter and in-person networking instead of relying on my posts to reach the right audience.

I pay way less attention to the news.

This might not be a big deal for everyone, but for me it was. I’m an empath and reading the news every day as it was blasted at me through Facebook was actually exhausting. I was worrying about things in the world way more than I needed to and that wasn’t healthy for my emotional state. I didn’t realize how much this was affecting me until I didn’t have it anymore. I now go weeks without reading the news and find that I’m so much happier. If something major happens I’ll find out about it, but other than that, I focus on my life and just living it.

I miss some Facebook groups.

The biggest group I miss is the used photo gear group. I’ve actually had to ask friends to check the group for me when I was looking for a specific lens. I also really miss the Rising Tide Tuesdays Together group as that is where all the in-person meeting info was announced.  There are also courses I look to purchase or learning opportunities that I might be interested in, but they are based solely on Facebook so that eliminates that option for me.

I miss seeing updates from some people.

There are people I only stayed in touch with via Facebook. People who I don’t really know well enough to have coffee with or text with, but who I enjoyed seeing updates from. It has been 9 months and I have no idea what’s up with those people. Is that really a bad thing? I’m not sure. In the days before the internet I wouldn’t have known what was happening with those people, so I know it’s not the end of the world, but it does feel like my social circle got a bit smaller. The people I consider close friends I now text with instead of chatting through Facebook messenger.

I do what I want.

This one is huge and has made me so much happier with my business. There are pluses and minuses to being in Facebook business groups. I used to think of an idea and then sometimes I’d ask for thoughts or suggestions or advice in a group. These people were people I trusted, but still, it often resulted in conflicting advice or made me second guess my gut. I’d hem and haw and talk myself out of things because it wasn’t the norm. I now just do what I want. I don’t ask a soul and I am so much happier for it. I’ve learned to trust myself and not worry about what anyone else thinks.  Although the biggest change has been in my business, it has also seeped into my personal life. I don’t ask for parenting advice or see what other people are making their kids for lunch. I now just do me.

So, will I go back? Right now the answer is a big fat NO. I don’t ever see myself going back to Facebook. Yes, there are a few things I miss, but it’s not even close enough to outweigh the negative that came from it.

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