Let’s be honest, being the bottleneck in your business costs you more than just time. Running your own business means juggling many moving parts, especially when it comes to consistently showing up on social media.
You’ve probably got great intentions, a few ideas saved in your Notes app, and someone helping behind-the-scenes with posts and scheduling. But here’s the tricky bit: sometimes, without meaning to, we become the reason nothing’s going out the door.
This isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness. I’ve seen it firsthand and, in some cases, lived it, too. When you’re the only decision-maker, it’s easy to stall progress without realising it.
So if your content isn’t landing on time, your feed feels patchy, or you’re wondering why things aren’t flowing, it might be time to look inward.
Here are five ways we’ve experienced business owners unintentionally become the bottleneck in their social media and how you can shift that.
1. Waiting too long to approve content
If you’re working with someone who creates content for your socials (or your blog, newsletter, or anything else), one of the biggest bottlenecks can be approvals. The content is ready, but it’s sitting in a document, a scheduling app or inbox waiting for you to give the green light.
What actually happens: Your content calendar goes off track. Posts get pushed back. You start to look inconsistent online, and your audience notices. You end up with a log of outdated posts misaligned with the strategy you want to achieve.
What to try instead: Block out 15 to 30 minutes in your calendar each week to review everything in one go. Make it a priority; this isn’t just a nice-to-do. Your next client is out there waiting to hear from you. It doesn’t need to be perfect (nothing is perfect; no one is perfect). It’s all about making progress and getting your message out there.
2. Changing your mind constantly
Your preferences will evolve, and that’s okay. But if your content direction or visual style keeps shifting mid-project, it becomes tough for your support team to build momentum and provide the quality of content you expect.
What actually happens: You review content and decide you want to change some wording or don’t like an element on the graphic. You let the team know; they make the change, and then you decide you prefer the other version. This is perfectly fine one/two times, but when it becomes more than that, extra rounds of revisions mean that it’s time lost and if you are paying by the hour, it’s going to cost you more, and if you have a retainer or pay per project, then you’re scope creeping and no one likes that.
What to try instead: Lock in your brand look and tone at the start of your working relationship. This is where a style guide is so helpful for your team. It gives your team a consistent direction and reduces the back-and-forth as they make the changes you want because you are unclear on what you want, like, or need.
3. Not showing up in your own social space
Your posts are scheduled and published. They look amazing, your content is spot on, and your CTA is a winner. The post is published, you receive likes, shares and a few comments, but the people who like, share and comment receive crickets. Social media is not set and forget; you must be present if you post on social media. Social media is about connection; you can’t create that connection with your potential audience if you don’t respond or acknowledge.
What actually happens: Your page’s likers and followers lose interest. Why should they spend their time trying to acknowledge and connect with you if you can’t make the time to respond to them? Posts get less reach. It’s easy for anyone to click on the ‘Not Interested’ button that pops up in your FB or Insta feed, and they won’t see your posts again for some time. Then the algorithm starts to work against you. Your community stops growing, and you decide social media is not for you, and put it in the too-hard basket.
What to try instead: Spend ten minutes a day engaging. Reply to comments, react to messages, and like a few relevant posts. These small actions build visibility and connection over time, and most of all, they are appreciated by the person who made the effort to connect with you and your brand; it’s a win-win.
4. Taking too long to give direction
If you’re unclear about your goals or what you want your content to say, it’s hard for your team to deliver something that genuinely works for you. They’re forced to guess, and that rarely hits the mark.
What actually happens: Confusion. Rewrites. Deadlines slipping past unnoticed, disengagement. It’s difficult for a team to be engaged when the client isn’t.
What to try instead: Schedule an hour every two weeks for check-ins to stay aligned. Review what’s working, adjust what’s not, and keep the communication flowing.
5. Trying to do it all yourself
Control, it’s a big deal. Some clients find it difficult to delegate. They want help, they hire a VA, but then they get stuck because, by the time I tell someone what I want, I may as well do it myself. Yes, absolutely correct, but you only need to do it once, then you save hours. Just imagine what you could do with all that extra time.
What actually happens: When you try to do it all yourself and cut out your team, you only create bottlenecks, stress, and overwhelm for both yourself and your VA.
What to try instead: Trust the people you’ve contracted if you’ve brought in a VA to help you grow your business. Let them do their thing. You don’t need to have your hands on every moving part. Take a higher-level view, be the leader your VA is looking for and trust that they will deliver on expectations.
Does any of this seem familiar? Know that you’re not alone; this is far more common than you might realise. But if you want your content to land, your message to spread, and your community to grow, it might be time to take a step back.
Give your business space to flow and see what opens up when you do.
If you’re ready to hand over the content reins and build a consistent, aligned presence on your socials, we can help. At JMJ, we offer done-for-you social media services designed to take the pressure off while still keeping your voice at the heart of your brand. Whether you’re starting from scratch or need to bring clarity and consistency to your existing platforms, we’ll meet you where you are at. Book a call here to speak with Jacqui.
