Man.
Being on the internet as a business owner right now feels like standing in the middle of a crowded room where everyone is shouting and somehow also watching you.

Say something.
Don’t say something.
If you’re quiet, you’re complicit.
If you speak, you’re doing it wrong.

And meanwhile you’re just trying to run a business, pay people, take care of your nervous system, and not burn the whole thing down before lunch.

If you’re feeling heavy about whether or how to post about current events on your business platforms, you’re not behind. You’re not heartless. You’re not failing some moral test.

You’re just thinking.

Personal Values and Business Values Are Connected but Not the Same

This is where things get messy fast.

You have personal values. Deep ones. Lived ones. The kind that show up in how you treat people when no one is watching.

Your business also has values, but they exist for a different reason. They guide how you serve customers, support employees, and make decisions that keep the lights on.

Those two things overlap, but they are not interchangeable.

Not every personal belief needs to be processed publicly through a business account. And not every business value needs to be broadcast in real time during a breaking news cycle.

Clarity here matters more than volume.

Before you post anything, ask yourself
What values does my business actually stand for?
And does posting right now serve those values or just the noise?

When Speaking Up Makes Sense for a Business

There are times when it makes sense to say something publicly as a business.

Usually that’s when:

• The issue directly impacts your customers, employees, or local community
• Your business was built around advocacy, education, or social impact
• Silence would contradict your stated mission or internal policies
• You are willing to follow words with action, not just a caption

This doesn’t require a perfectly worded statement. It requires honesty and relevance.

Sometimes speaking up looks like acknowledging pain.
Sometimes it looks like reaffirming how you treat people.
Sometimes it looks like saying less, but meaning it more.

When It Doesn’t Feel Right and Why That’s Okay

There are also moments when posting feels wrong in your body. Not inconvenient. Wrong.

That can happen when:

• You are still processing and learning
• The issue is outside your expertise
• You feel pressured to react instead of respond
• You know the post would invite harm, distraction, or exhaustion
• You’re being asked to perform values rather than live them

Choosing not to post is not the same as not caring.

Sometimes the most values aligned choice is to slow down, listen, and protect the people and systems you’re responsible for.

The Hidden Cost of Letting Social Media Decide for You

Social media is fast, emotional, and unforgiving.

It rewards immediacy.
It punishes nuance.
It disappears your words as quickly as it amplifies them.

When business owners rely on social platforms as the primary place to express values, everything feels higher stakes than it needs to be.

That’s when burnout happens. That’s when resentment creeps in. That’s when people start wondering if they can walk away from social media and still be successful.

Spoiler alert. Many do.

SEO Versus Social Media and Why This Matters

Social media is reactive.
SEO is patient.

A thoughtful blog post
Lives on your site
Gets found by people who are searching, not scrolling
Allows room for complexity
Builds trust quietly over time

A social post often asks, “What side are you on right now?”
A blog post asks, “What do you stand for, consistently?”

If your values matter to you, long form content is often a better container for them.

If you want to understand how SEO actually works (without it feeling like a second full-time job), I highly recommend Hilltop Help’s Rank Method course. It’s one of the few resources I’ve found that explains SEO in a practical, sustainable way for small business owners who want visibility without being glued to social media. Use coupon code KATY20 for 20% off.

Practical Action Steps for Business Owners

If you’re feeling stuck, here’s a calmer way forward.

1. Clarify Your Actual Values

Not the aspirational ones. The lived ones.

Ask:

• What do I protect even when it costs me
• What do I refuse to compromise on
• What does my business exist to make possible

Helpful tools:
Personal Values Assessment
VIA Character Strengths Survey

You don’t need to post your values to honor them. You do need to know them.

2. Define Your Business Responsibility

Your business is not responsible for commenting on everything.

It is responsible for how it treats people, how it makes money, and how it shows up within its real sphere of influence.

Write one internal sentence
In moments like this, our responsibility is _______

That sentence can guide future decisions without panic.

3. Choose the Right Channels

Not every message belongs everywhere.

Social media for brief acknowledgment
Email for context with people who opted in
Blog posts for depth and longevity
Offline actions for real impact

You don’t have to say everything in one place.

4. Decide What Action Looks Like Without Posting

Values are not captions.

Action can be
Supporting employees privately
Adjusting internal policies
Donating time or resources
Creating space for conversation
Choosing kindness in small, boring ways

None of this requires an announcement.

5. Revisit Your Visibility Strategy

If social media feels unbearable, it might be time to rebalance.

Look at:

• Search traffic
• Email engagement
• Actual conversions
• Where your business really grows from

Many businesses survive and thrive with less social media than they think.

You’re Allowed to Build Something That Lasts

The internet wants immediacy.
Values want sustainability.

You are allowed to care deeply without performing constantly.
You are allowed to be thoughtful instead of loud.
You are allowed to build a business that can hold complexity.

The goal isn’t to speak on everything or stay silent forever.

The goal is alignment.

And alignment is quieter, steadier, and far more durable than any single post in a chaotic news cycle.