I left Facebook and Instagram and I’m OK

I’m not sure if it’s the activist in me, if I had reached the point of enough knowledge of lack of privacy, or if I realized people I was connected with on Facebook seemed closer in my circles than they actually are. It’s probably some of each of these.

After a couple of years of thinking about it, I decided I didn’t want to be part of the Facebook business enterprises any longer. For me this also meant leaving Instagram.

I was on both platforms personally, for my business, and for one of my blogs. I thought long and hard about leaving and how not being in these spaces would affect me, my business, and my blog.

In February of this year, I started posting from all three accounts that I would be leaving. I asked people I wanted to keep connected with to swap emails, I asked blog readers to subscribe, and I asked those connected with my business to subscribe to my “tips” posts and take my business email.

Five months out I realize I’m OK. I do miss seeing what is happening in some people’s lives, but for those I really care about I can connect other ways. I was surprised that so many subscribed to my blog to stay in touch, and equally surprised that my business was not affected. I began working LinkedIn more for my business which has been a bonus. Twitter has always been a mainstay for work and play and I continue to have a presence there (@fundraiserdan).

Being in the world of nonprofit fundraising, I know many nonprofits use Facebook to fundraise. While going through the process of leaving Facebook, I realized that nonprofits, including all my clients, had to keep in mind what I was doing as they continually think of creative ways to communicate and connect with all donors.

I know many use Facebook and/or Instagram as an integral part of sharing their work, blog, and/or writing, as did I. Leaving was not easy, and I’m glad I did it. It’s allowed me to be more creative in the world of social media, focus on work that affects my business, and spend time building relationships with people that matter to me.