In my freelance work, I talk to a lot of people who are just starting something new. They might not have a brand identity yet, but they know they need one. They also might be building a website and hoping to wrap it up soon. They have a very long to-do list next. And somewhere on that list—usually accompanied by a heavy dose of guilt—is the intention to start posting on social media asap.
But where do you even begin? It often feels like a chicken-or-the-egg situation. If you don’t have your brand identity nailed down yet, how can you possibly look put together? Do you wait until your messaging is locked in?
Here’s the thing: social media often feels like a branding exercise, but it’s not a brand book. It’s not fixed. It’s a space where things shift. Yes, you’ll want some branded elements—your profile picture, maybe the occasional graphic—but both the algorithm and the people using these platforms tend to favor posts that feel looser, more in-the-moment. Original. Entertaining. Informative. Directly from the mouth of someone they care about. No matter the platform or format, those qualities are what people return for.
One of my favorite examples of a brand getting this right is Dan Pelosi, aka GrossyPelosi. His website is a beautifully designed, tightly curated experience: color palettes, patterns, typography, all perfectly in place. But on Instagram, his brand moves. It’s glamorous, sure, but it’s also messy and alive. Screenshots, candids, even recycled text from Stories slapped on top. He posts super frequently and without fuss. The consistency isn’t in the polish, it’s in the voice. And voice takes practice and mistakes.
That’s what most people I talk to are afraid of—the mistakes. They want to show up looking like they’ve already got it together. I feel it too! I have this recurring fear that I’ve wasted everyone’s time, making them read my terrible writing while I slowly figure out what it is I’m actually trying to say. But social media is a work in progress. A post that doesn’t land just disappears into the scroll. If your brand evolves, no one’s going to go digging through your old posts to call you out on it.
In fact, at any moment you’re allowed to wipe your account and start from scratch. For example, there’s a ritual that happens when a music artist is about to release an album: the Instagram wipe. The grid goes blank. Suspense builds. Lorde, Haim, and A$AP Rocky all did exactly that in advance of their summer 2025 albums. But then there are the exceptions: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. Ironically, they’re two of the most image-conscious artists of all time! They shockingly seem completely unbothered by old posts lingering in the digital ether. For them, the past isn’t something to erase. Maybe they see it as a part of their spotless record.
I once posted my first reel ever and immediately spiraled into post-upload regret (not exactly new for me). Alyssa, my ever-patient partner who deals with so many of my work-related anxiety spirals, talked me down. She said the whole point is to reach the people who will love it. It won’t resonate with everyone, but who cares, because the people who don’t like it won’t even clock it. They’ll just scroll by.
And she’s right. We’re all overstimulated. The things that stick, stick. Everything else just drifts past. There’s comfort in that.
So stop overthinking it. Start where you are. Everyone does.
Questions to Ask Before You Hit Post
If you’re thinking about launching a new account, pause for a second and ask:
1. What’s your actual goal?Are you trying to be more visible? Show off your skills? Interact with your community? There are a hundred ways to get where you’re going. Focus on the destination first and then figure out what you’re doing to get there.
2. Is your audience there?You don’t have to be everywhere. In fact, you shouldn’t be. Go where your people already spend time, or at least somewhere they can easily follow along without going out of their way.
3. Have you test-driven the idea?Before you spin up a whole new account or identity, try it out where you already are. Share a few things. See what clicks. No grand opening ceremony needed.
4. Do people actually want this?Sometimes we’re fascinated by ideas that don’t really land outside our own heads. That’s okay, it’s part of the process. But check in: Is this actually useful, entertaining, or interesting to the people you’re hoping to reach? If not, tweak and try again.
5. Is there a lower-lift way to do this?You don’t need to post three times a week and learn video editing overnight. Maybe it’s actually something else—a monthly newsletter, a casual group text, or an occasional blog—that’s more your speed.
Bonus: Does it fit your workload?This one’s easy to overlook. If something already feels like a chore before you’ve even started it, it’s okay to reconsider. Building a presence on social media takes time and effort, and that’s way easier when you’re creating something that energizes you, or at least fits into your life in a way that feels good. You don’t need to do it all. You just need to do what’s right for you and your brand, right now.
