You may have noticed that Wilde Flora Herbals does not have a social media presence. After putting in the work to grow our Instagram and Facebook presence, we decided we'd rather be absent from the Social Media platforms. While it was a useful tool for informing our customers of company updates, we opted to delete it entirely in favor of email- and website- only communication with our customers. Why?
It was a personal decision of mine to get off of social media as soon as it became integrated with AI. A combination of privacy concerns for my family, wanting to guard my time and protect my mind from the constant comparison, consumerism and click-bait content drove the decision. The addition of AI quickened my decision, as I knew this would lead to a saturation of AI generated posts and untrustworthy content that I didn't want to be consuming. Additionally, I didn't want my own content to be copied and analyzed by AI programs.
After deleting my personal accounts, I considered keeping my business account active for marketing purposes. However, I realized that keeping a business account would only have been feeding into the very thing that I did not desire to be a part of.
What started as a fun way to share our lives with friends has transformed into a commerce-centered platform that encourages people to over-consume. Even those who post products out of a desire to be helpful to their audience are feeding into the trend of instant gratification, impulsive purchases and discontent with what one already owns. I saw how it influenced me to buy and spend far more than I would if I didn't see social content every day. Even as a business, I didn't want to encourage more of this just to try and sell my own products. I want people to purchase my products out of necessity and function rather than being pressured to make a purchase because of a promotion or a beautiful or persuasive post.
Without daily posting, my brand may not be top of mind for most of my customers day to day - but it doesn't need to be. I can communicate what needs to be communicated effectively via email and when someone runs out of a product, they know where to go for more without having to see something on their phone to remind them.
I appreciate the support of those who wish to share my products on their personal social media, as referals have brought many friends of customers to try my products, but I do not offer an influencer program that may impact the tone of the review or the nature of the post for the sake of commissions.
For now, I plan on continuing under a simple online brand presence. Please channel all communications to our email address and know that we are still here, quietly making the high quality, hand-crafted products that you know and love.
If you'd like to be informed of new products and other company announcements, you can join our email list! Rest easy knowing you'll only hear from us when you need to. We're not here to fill your inbox with more ways to spend your money, we're happy just crafting the products you love and offering them when you need them.
How has deleting social media impacted my personal life? Honestly, its disappearance was hardly detected at first. With the apps gone, there was no longer a temptation to scroll. I didn't feel any desire to return, nor did I have any feeling of missing out. I simply found myself with a quieter, more content mind, less online purchases at my doorstep and more free time day to day.
We read in the Bible not to covet. To me, the constant sharing of products and links and unboxing videos feels like it's cultivating a culture of coveting. When I look at another woman who is beautifully dressed, I want to be able to compliment her rather than ask her for a link so I can buy the same dress as her. Likewise, I don't want my posts to make others envy me or what I own, I want to help others be content with their lives and happy living within their own means. There's nothing wrong with shopping at a thrift shop, driving an old car and living in a house full of hand-me-downs - even if it feels unglamorous when cast in the light of social media. Without exposure to what others are filling their homes and lives with, aside from people who we actually know and who know us an our situations, it's much easier to be content and not be driven to covet.
I much prefer a quiet, slow way of living and hearing my news from those I see day to day suits me just fine. I even found that several long distance friends reached out to me directly to catch up since social media was no longer informing them about my life. I find I'm not bothered by lives of people I don't know or places where I don't live, as I used to be. My world is smaller and my children are the focus of my attention - rather than my phone. In this slow season of motherhood, it suits me just fine.
With love, xoxo,
Wildeflora
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