It’s hard to believe that I’ve now been working in the social media space for a little over two years. When I first started, I honestly felt completely overwhelmed. There was so much advice online, and every creator seemed convinced that their strategy was the only one that actually worked. As someone who has always been a little shy, I questioned almost every decision I made. I spent far too much time wondering whether I was choosing the right niche, posting on the right platform, or creating the right kind of content.
Looking back now, I can clearly see that most of my biggest struggles weren’t caused by the algorithm or bad luck. They were caused by mistakes that I kept repeating myself. Some of them disappeared as I gained more experience, while others still try to sneak back in whenever I lose focus.
The good news is that every single one of these mistakes taught me something valuable. If you’re just starting your journey, I genuinely hope my experience can save you some time, frustration, and maybe even a little money. Building an online business already comes with enough challenges—you don’t need to learn every lesson the hard way like I did.
1. Mistake : I Thought More Niches Meant More Opportunities
When I first discovered content creation, I became obsessed with finding the “perfect” niche. Everywhere I looked, people were talking about the most profitable industries. Wealth. Health. Relationships. Then there were beauty creators, fitness influencers, productivity accounts, travel pages, parenting blogs, and countless other niches that all seemed incredibly successful.
Instead of asking myself what I genuinely enjoyed writing about, I kept asking a completely different question: Which niche will make me the most money?
That mindset sent me in circles for months.
One day I would create content about productivity because someone claimed it was exploding. The next day I convinced myself that health was the better opportunity. A few days later I was suddenly researching another niche because another YouTube video promised even faster growth.
The result was exactly what you would expect.
My content never felt connected. Every post seemed to speak to a different audience, and because I wasn’t truly passionate about most of those topics, creating content slowly started feeling like a chore instead of something I actually enjoyed. I found myself constantly searching for new ideas instead of becoming knowledgeable in one area.
As a mom, my time is already limited. Between family life, everyday responsibilities, and trying to build a business, I simply don’t have endless hours to waste chasing every trend that appears online. Once I finally accepted that, everything became much easier.
I chose one niche that genuinely interested me, stopped worrying about all the others, and focused all my energy there. Almost immediately my content became more consistent, writing felt more natural, and I noticed that people started recognizing what my account was actually about.
If I could give one piece of advice to anyone starting today, it would be this: don’t try to become an expert in everything. Choose one niche that you truly enjoy talking about and allow yourself to grow within it. Trust builds much faster when people know exactly what they can expect from you.
2. Mistake: I Tried to Show Up Everywhere at Once
Another mistake that cost me far more time than I’d like to admit was believing I needed to be everywhere.
Instagram.
Pinterest.
YouTube.
Facebook.
Threads.
TikTok.
Every platform seemed like another opportunity I couldn’t afford to miss. I worried that if I focused on only one, I might be leaving potential followers—and income—behind.
What actually happened was the complete opposite.
Instead of becoming really good at one platform, I became average on all of them. Every platform works differently. They each have their own audience, their own algorithm, and their own style of content. I was constantly trying to keep up with everything, and before long, creating content started feeling exhausting.
As someone who naturally overthinks things, this made the pressure even worse. I wasn’t only creating content anymore—I was trying to understand five different algorithms at the same time.
Eventually I decided to simplify everything.
I chose one platform and gave myself permission to ignore the rest for a while. Instead of worrying about where else I should be posting, I focused on understanding one audience really well. I learned what kind of content they enjoyed, how they interacted, and what encouraged meaningful conversations.
Ironically, that’s when things finally started moving.
Once creating content became easier and more natural, repurposing it for other platforms no longer felt stressful. Instead of creating five different pieces of content every day, I was simply adapting one good piece of content for different audiences.
Looking back, I wish I had understood earlier that you don’t have to be everywhere to build a successful online business. Sometimes growing slowly on one platform is much more powerful than struggling on five.
3. Mistake: I Stopped Waiting for the “Perfect” Day
This is probably the lesson I continue reminding myself of the most.
When I first started creating content, I relied far too much on motivation. On days when I felt inspired, I would create several videos, write multiple posts, and feel incredibly productive. Then life happened. Family responsibilities came first, I became tired, or I simply wasn’t in the mood to create anything.
Those breaks always seemed harmless.
But over time, I realized they were quietly slowing down my progress.
Consistency doesn’t mean creating perfect content every day. It simply means showing up, even when you don’t feel like it.
There are still days when I look at something I’ve created and think, I’m not sure anyone will even care about this.
Years ago, I probably wouldn’t have posted it.
Now I do.
Because I’ve learned that imperfect content published consistently will almost always outperform perfect content that never gets posted.
These days I try to keep a simple routine. If my goal is to publish two posts, I publish two posts. If I finish early, I use that extra time to prepare content for the following days instead of stopping completely. Having content ready in advance has taken away so much unnecessary stress, especially as a mom, because life doesn’t always go according to plan.
Some days are busy.
Some days are chaotic.
Some days I simply don’t feel creative.
But having a routine means I don’t have to rely on motivation anymore.
And honestly, that’s probably one of the biggest mindset shifts I’ve experienced over the last two years.
Final Thoughts
I’m definitely not someone who has everything figured out.
I still make mistakes. I still overthink things sometimes. I still have days where I wonder whether I’m doing enough or heading in the right direction.
But every mistake has taught me something that made the next step a little easier.
If I could go back and give my younger self one piece of advice, it would simply be this: keep things simple. Focus on one niche, master one platform, and stay consistent long enough to let your hard work compound.
Building an online business isn’t a race. It’s something that grows little by little, one piece of content at a time.
If you’re dreaming of building your own online income but don’t know where to start, my free Faceless Income Starter Guide is the perfect place to begin. Grab your free Guide
Let’s Talk
I’d genuinely love to hear about your own experience.
What’s one mistake you’ve made on social media that taught you the biggest lesson? 💛