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jamesh2025smith · 30 days ago

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If You Want to Be a Creator, Delete All (But Two) Social Media Platforms

In a world overflowing with content and distraction, one of the most radical acts a creator can commit is restraint. With new social platforms popping up regularly and algorithms evolving daily, creators face pressure to be everywhere at once: TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Threads, and more. The temptation to build a presence on all platforms is strong, driven by the fear of missing out and the allure of going viral.

But here's the truth: being everywhere often leads to being effective nowhere. If you truly want to build something meaningful—whether it's a personal brand, a podcast, a YouTube channel, a writing career, or a business—you must reclaim your focus. That begins with a bold but powerful decision:

Delete all but two social media platforms.

The Productivity Trap of Social Media Social media platforms are engineered to capture your attention and keep you scrolling. What appears to be “work” often disguises itself as procrastination: browsing for “inspiration,” replying to DMs, posting a quick story, or jumping into trending hashtags. For creators, this constant engagement can feel productive, but it’s usually not.

Each additional platform you manage dilutes your creative energy. Every post, comment, or upload costs mental bandwidth—time you could use for actual creation. Juggling five platforms at once might make you feel busy, but it rarely results in deep, sustained work. The result? Surface-level content and creator burnout.

The Myth of Omnipresence A popular narrative in creator culture is that omnipresence builds success. While there's some truth to being discoverable, most creators confuse visibility with impact. Virality doesn’t necessarily translate into a loyal audience. Being “seen” isn’t the same as being remembered—or trusted.

The reality is that most of your audience doesn't follow you on every platform. They’ll likely engage with you most on one or two channels. That’s where the real relationship begins. Rather than being thinly spread across seven platforms, imagine going all-in on two. The content gets better. The engagement gets deeper. The brand gets stronger.

Choosing Your Two Platforms So, which two platforms should you keep? The answer depends on your goals, your audience, and your strengths. Here’s a simple framework to help guide your decision:

The Primary Platform: Long-form, Evergreen Content

Choose one platform where your content can live long-term and build compounding value. This is your main creative output.

Examples:

YouTube (video creators)

A personal blog or Substack (writers)

Podcast platforms (audio creators)

LinkedIn (thought leadership for professionals)

The Secondary Platform: Discovery & Community

Choose a platform where your audience already hangs out, and where content spreads quickly. Use this for connection, distribution, and engagement.

Examples:

Instagram or TikTok (visual storytellers)

Twitter/X (writers, thinkers, news-focused creators)

Facebook Groups or Discord (community building)

Reddit (niche content and discussions)

The primary platform is where your core content lives. The secondary platform is the amplifier, helping you reach new people and engage existing fans.

Benefits of Fewer Platforms

Deeper Work When you're not constantly checking multiple apps, you gain back hours of time and space for uninterrupted creation. Deep work leads to better output—higher quality videos, more thoughtful articles, more meaningful products.

Consistency and Mastery Mastering one or two platforms allows you to post consistently and learn what works. You'll understand your analytics, adapt your strategy, and create a recognizable style. Spreading across many platforms makes this kind of learning nearly impossible.

Stronger Brand Identity Your brand thrives on clarity. A scattered online presence leads to a confused audience. Focusing on two platforms helps reinforce your voice and message consistently, building recognition and trust.

Improved Mental Health Constant social media use leads to comparison, distraction, and stress. Reducing your digital footprint helps reclaim peace of mind and reduces anxiety. Less screen time equals more creative flow.

Real Creators Focus Take a look at many successful creators—they’re not on every platform all the time. They usually dominate on one or two and either ignore the rest or delegate. Think of:

MrBeast: Built his empire on YouTube.

Ali Abdaal: Focused on YouTube and a newsletter.

Seth Godin: Writes daily on his blog, distributes via email.

MKBHD: YouTube and X, with minor presence elsewhere.

These creators didn’t dilute their efforts. They focused. And they scaled only after establishing a strong foundation.

How to Let Go Deleting platforms can feel scary. What if you miss a trend? Lose followers? Fall behind?

Here’s a step-by-step approach:

Audit Your Usage

Look at where you’re currently active and what results each platform delivers. Which ones drain your time vs. drive meaningful engagement or conversions?

Choose Your Two

Based on your goals and audience, pick the platform where you create best, and the one where your audience lives.

Announce the Shift

Let your audience know where they can continue to connect with you. This builds trust and eases the transition.

Delete or Disable

You don’t have to nuke everything—but log out, delete the apps, and stop posting on the rest. Use scheduling tools or email autoresponders to redirect traffic.

Go All In

With fewer distractions, you can now go deep. Create better content. Build real community. Grow something sustainable.

The Path to Creative Freedom Social media is a tool, not a home. Creators who treat it as the main destination lose their focus—and often their freedom. By stripping back to the essentials, you give yourself permission to create, not just perform.

So, if you’re serious about being a creator—delete all but two platforms. Focus. Go deep. Make something that lasts.

In the end, creativity thrives not in abundance, but in constraint. Less noise. More voice.

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