Why Connection Matters More Than Content
I’ll be honest with you, I used to believe the experts. Post consistently, they said. Optimise your content, they said. Batch create for efficiency, they said.
And I did all of it. I showed up on Instagram every single day. I crafted perfect carousels. I wrote captions that followed all the formulas. I did everything “right.”
And you know what happened? Not much.
Meanwhile, over on Threads, where I was just being myself, having actual conversations, and genuinely connecting with people—something completely different was happening. Every single one of my 100 founding members came from Threads. Not from my perfectly curated Instagram feed. From real conversations.
That’s when it hit me, I’d been playing the wrong game entirely.
The Connection Challenge Changed Everything
Last month, we ran our first community challenge, the Connection Challenge. I’ll be honest, I was nervous. Would people show up? Would they engage? Would it fall flat?
About 11 members participated. Now, if I was still in that old mindset, I might have seen that as a failure. Only 11 out of 100? But here’s what actually happened:
Those 11 people had real conversations. They supported each other. They showed up for each other. They built relationships that extended beyond the challenge itself.
And I realised, this is what I’m building. Not a community of hundreds of silent lurkers, but a space where real connections happen.
What the Data Actually Showed Me
You know what’s funny about following the “expert advice”? I spent months investing heavily in Instagram because that’s what everyone said I should do. Meanwhile, Threads was consistently delivering results.
I finally made a choice: I’m putting 80% of my effort into Threads, where my people actually are. Where real conversations happen. Where connection naturally occurs.
This isn’t about ignoring content, it’s about understanding that content without connection is just noise.
The Truth About Building a Business
Here’s what I’ve learned after two years of no income, launching this business, and working toward buying a house for me and my daughter:
Your audience doesn’t need another perfect post. They need to feel seen.
They don’t need another productivity hack or hustle harder message. They need to know they’re not alone in this.
They don’t need you to have it all figured out. They need your honesty about the messy middle.
When I show up vulnerably on Threads, when I share the real struggles of building a business as a mum, when I admit I don’t have all the answers, when I ask for help, that’s when people connect. That’s when they message me. That’s when they join.
Connection Over Competition (And Content)
My entire business is built on “connection over competition.” But I’m taking it one step further:
Connection over content.
Because here’s the thing, you can have the most perfectly optimised content strategy in the world. You can post at all the “right” times. You can use all the “right” hashtags. You can follow every single expert’s advice.
But if you’re not actually connecting with people? If you’re not building real relationships? If you’re treating your audience as metrics instead of humans?
None of that content matters.
What This Actually Looks Like
So what does “connection over content” look like in practice?
It means:
- Responding to every comment like the person matters (because they do)
- Having real conversations instead of just broadcasting
- Asking questions and actually caring about the answers
- Showing up as yourself, not as the “perfect” version you think people want
- Prioritising one meaningful conversation over ten shallow interactions
- Building relationships before asking for anything
It doesn’t mean:
- Abandoning content entirely
- Being unprofessional or sloppy
- Ignoring strategy completely
- Never planning or organising
It means understanding that content is the vehicle, but connection is the destination.
The Permission You’ve Been Waiting For
If you’ve been exhausted by the content treadmill, I want to give you permission to step off.
If you’ve been feeling like you’re failing because you can’t keep up with posting every day, you’re not failing.
If you’ve been wondering why your perfectly crafted content isn’t converting, maybe it’s because people don’t need perfect, they need real.
You don’t need to create more content. You need to create more connection.
Moving Forward
The Connection Challenge taught me something invaluable, when you create space for people to actually connect, magic happens. Not the fake, manufactured “engagement” that the algorithms love. Real magic. Real relationships. Real support.
And isn’t that why most of us started our businesses in the first place? Not to become content machines, but to build something meaningful. To connect with people who get it. To create community.
So yes, I’ll still create content. But I’ll create it with connection in mind, not as a replacement for it.
I’ll focus on the platforms where my people actually want to talk to me (hello, Threads).
I’ll prioritise the 11 people who show up over trying to impress the 89 who don’t.
I’ll remember that my 100 founding members aren’t just numbers, they’re real people with real businesses and real dreams. And they deserve my genuine attention and connection, not just my content.
Your Turn
What would change in your business if you prioritised connection over content?
What if you spent less time perfecting your posts and more time having real conversations?
What if you stopped chasing the algorithm and started chasing authentic relationships?
I’m not saying I have it all figured out. I’m still learning. I’m still iterating. I’m still figuring out how to balance it all while working toward that house for me and my daughter.
But I do know this, connection matters more than content. Always has. Always will.
And if that resonates with you? If you’re tired of the hustle culture and the content treadmill and the endless optimisation?
Maybe we should connect.
This post was inspired by our first Connection Challenge in Female Entrepreneurs HQ. Want to join our next challenge? Join our community here
