My 30 days off social media. Here's what went down.
My 30-day social media sabbatical has come to an end.
This month-long [Un]social Experiment was about a lot of things for me: refocusing my attention and affections, creating more space for my family, and seeing what kind of stuff God could and would do when I stepped out of the way a little bit.
I'm so excited to share with you some of the beauty and struggle of taking my business offline for a month. Today I'm givin' you the fun stuff, the practical stuff, the numbers stuff, the personal stuff. I wanna catch you up on what you missed in my life and business while I was away and leave you with one pretty bold closing charge.
So, here it is. The low down:
HAPPENINGS IN THE SHOP
I may have been off social media, but my business didn't shut down! Here's a couple things that hit the Shop this past month.
NEW MUG RELEASED!
Our newest 'More Jesus Please' ceramic coffee and tea mug was released on 10/24! I love this thing! It's 16 oz., white with black lettering, printed on both sides, and microwave and dishwasher safe, baby. Check it out here!
NEW HAND-LETTERED FREEBIE!
A colorful, vibrant and inspirational lock screen for your phone that focuses on joy, gratitude, and constant conversation with the One who gives us both. This has been a popular one! Click here to snag yours.
VOTING ON MY NEXT SHIRT!
Email subscribers got to help me pick the color of my newest apparel item: our Love Above All Raglan. It's coming soooon, so stay tuned!
All the ladies who are a part of my sugar-sweet email list heard about these things while I was off social media the past month and got first dibs. If you aren't yet receiving our emails, why not?! Click here and subscribe so you don't miss out on these great things in the future.
THE NUMBERS
I ain't afraid to give it to you straight. Here's what happened on the numbers side of things.
Instagram - Lost 54 followers. Gained 38 new followers.
Facebook - Lost 1 Like/Follower. Gained 16 new Likes/Followers.
Email list - 0 Unsubscribes. 17 New Subscribers.
Sales - Online sales were down only $29 from the previous month.
FEATURES
One of our Prints was featured on Simply Mrs. Edwards! Terra recently shared an amazing blog post about her recent farmhouse style bathroom makeover, and our popular Take Courage Print was featured on the wall. What an honor! Check out Simply Mrs. Edwards for great DIY projects, recipes, handmade goods, and more!
Our Choose Joy Tee is a part of Belong Magazine's current issue! Yep, inside this incredible magazine that celebrates the art and community of women entrepreneurship, our tee was featured as a part of their annual Market Guide. Woohoo!!! You can order their magazine here or find them in Barnes & Nobles stores nationwide.
SUPPORT & ENCOURAGEMENT
This part of the Experiment just leaves me overwhelmed.
So many of you shared my products on social media while I was away, simply out of support, and I am incredibly grateful. Do you realize how your sharing affects my sales? It makes the hugest difference!
I know I won't get a chance to see all of the shares and tags, as I don't receive notifications on posts by private accounts, but please hear me say from the bottom of my heart: thank you. You helped keep my business rolling by sharing my website, the new mug, the Choose Joy Tee, the Monthly Freebie, and more. I am deeply and immensely grateful for it.
I have to highlight one story in particular. A friend and fellow business woman, Angie Donohue, felt lead to share my Choose Joy Tee on social media and give one away to a lucky lady who shared her post and commented where they were from. Somehow this post ended up being seen and shared by a sister in Kenya! Whaaat? Crazy! Angie spent her own money to buy a shirt both for the giveaway winner and herself, and it's stories like these that I can hardly handle. I know the Holy Spirit gave Angie this idea and she chose to follow through with it, blessing me in a whole lotta beautiful ways.
Thank you also for the many encouraging and supportive emails, private messages, and texts. They meant a ton to me.
PERSONAL LIFE
A lot can go down in a month. Here are just a couple of my favorites from the personal side of things.
I started and finished Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist. Seriously, c'mon! Who has read this book? If you struggle with striving, perfectionism or hustling on any level, this is a MUST READ. I can't even.
We found a new home church! We've been looking for the last few months and if you've ever been between churches, you know first-hand it's not an easy season. Especially with kids. I am so, so, so thankful to have landed at a place that all five of us truly love. I know God's got us there for specific and powerful things and I'm totally expectant and grateful.
We got to be a part of our first homeschooling co-op! This was a big deal for us, as one of my biggest prayers since this homeschooling journey began was connection with other families. This co-op was a blast and so good for us! We'll do it twice a month now and I'm very thankful for it.
CLOSING IT UP
I want to extract everything from this [Un]social Experiment that my Heavenly Father has for me. I still have some processing to do, but one thing I know already: it was so good and so worth it. And you know what? I think you should do it too.
Coming out of this 30 days, I'm telling you boldly that I think at some point in the near future, you should take a break from it all too. It could be for a month or maybe just a week. You may find it harder than you think or remarkably refreshing. Maybe both. I think you'll probably discover some things about yourself you didn't realize. Lke how much you actually love those likes, or what your real motivation for posting in the first place is, or the beautiful things you can do with the extra time you usually spend scrolling.
Social media is an incredible thing. I've discovered that I do need it at some level to advertise in my small business the way I'd like to. But it's not the end-all. And it's not a substitute for genuine connection, authentic face-to-face relationships, quality family time, play, and life. What can be an amazing resource for us can also be the very thing the enemy uses to distract, deceive and steal.
One of my biggest prayers coming out of this social media break is that I wouldn't be sucked back into the pressure, both a womanpreneur and a creative, to perform. I don't want to live my life for those "out there." I've got real people right in here - my man, my kids, my neighbors, Jesus Himself, me - so worthy of my love and attention.
I'd love to hear from you! What do you think of all this? Ever thought of taking a break yourself? Let me know in the comments below.
Hugs,
Melissa
