The 80/20 Rule is Dead (and what to do instead)

Are you worried about over-asking, over-selling, or over-promoting to your followers?

Stop it!

When I first started my digital marketing agency over a decade ago, we actually followed the 80/20 rule.

Here's the gist:

❌ 80% of your social posts should educate and entertain, while only 20% should directly promote your business or nonprofit.

Today, the 80/20 rule is the perfect formula if you want to go out of business!

Here's why:

👉 Your followers and email list subscribers are NOT reading or seeing every single piece of content you put out. If you only promote something or make an appeal for donations following this formula, the majority of your followers will miss it!

👉 We're distracted. Our attention spans are tinier than ever. I might want to buy/donate/subscribe and then *boom* distraction hits and I forgot. Don't make me wait another week or two before you remind me again!

👉 The 80/20 rule kills momentum. If you're promoting an online campaign, think of it like a story arc: a ramp up promo period, full-launch, and wind-down. It's impossible to do this effectively if you're following the 80/20 rule.

So, what should you do instead?

✅ You still want to educate, inspire, and storytell year-round. It's important to balance this in between sales or fundraising campaigns.

✅ Ditch the fear around promoting, selling, or fundraising. Seriously. The only one reading all of your posts is YOU! Go forth!

✅ People on your email list and following your org on social are there for a reason. Ask them to take action. Give them tons of opportunities to get involved and engage with you.

Want more? Find out how to build online marketing movements that matter by visiting my free masterclass & save $100 when you join my course, Amplify Social Impact here.