I’ve noticed something lately (actually, for quite a while) that I’m pretty sure many of you have experienced too: the lack of support from friends when it comes to liking posts or supporting your business. It’s something that can feel a little disheartening, especially when we’re all hustling and putting ourselves out there.
It’s tough when friends don’t seem to support your posts or business, especially when you’re pouring your heart into what you do! What makes it worse is that are you really going to sit them down and ask why they don’t? Trust me…say it out loud, and you’ll hear how ridiculous it sounds. The feelings are all valid, but if your friends don’t like your posts or support your business for reasons relating to jealousy, then they will quite likely gaslight you if you approach them with this issue.
Let’s look at what all of the issues could be. Kindly note, that even though I'm listing all of the possibilities, it’s really about how well ‘that’ friend fits in with any one of these reasons. We may not necessarily conclude at the end of this, but it’s more about trying to understand the why and how to deal with it!
Why Do Friends Hold Back?
First, it’s important to acknowledge that there could be a range of reasons why friends might not be as supportive as we’d like. It doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t care, but let’s discuss a few possibilities:
1. They’re Busy or Distracted
Life gets hectic, and sometimes people are just too wrapped up in their own lives to notice everything we’re posting. It’s not always personal—sometimes, they just miss it. However, if it’s a long-term thing that you’ve noticed, then I highly doubt they are so busy that they can never like your posts or support your business. Also, are they liking other people's posts and being active on social media?
2. Social Media Algorithms
The dreaded algorithms! Sometimes, our posts don’t even show up in our friends’ feeds, so they’re not ignoring us—they might simply not see our content. I feel like this is a good way to bring the issue up with friends: just casually ask, ‘Out of curiosity, do my posts show up on your feed? I’m trying to see if the algorithm is working for or against me right now!’
3. Competition
Let’s be real: Sometimes, friends might feel a bit of competition, especially if they’re in the same industry or pursuing similar goals. This can lead to them holding back on outwardly supporting us. This is more relevant if they also have a business in the same industry.
4. They Don’t Realize It Matters
Some people might not realize how much a simple like, comment, or share can mean, especially when it comes to supporting a friend’s business.
5. Jealousy
Your friend could be feeling some level of jealousy towards you. If you’re thriving, they're not, it may be why they don’t like your posts. If you notice more activity from them when you’re not really moving ahead or going through a bad patch, I’d think long and hard about how much of a friend they really are. I’m all for having friends who are there for me when things are tough, but I need that support when I’m doing well too.
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that social media isn’t everything. True support and friendship go beyond likes and shares. Focus on the people who show up for you in meaningful ways, because maybe social media isn’t their way of showing support.
I’m so glad that I have the friends I have. I have a friend who has been trying to put up her fashion business for years. It’s been such a struggle for her even though she’s so talented and smart and creative. She finally updated her website. She has work with Macy’s, Uniqlo, American Express, Adidas and more but unfortunately it’s so hard for her to get more clients. If I had the money I would invest in her to help her. I have so many friends that are artists and musicians and we have always gone to their art shows and music venues for support. We have tried to spread their talents as much as we can. I don’t have social media so not much I can do there. Creatives are that creatives. They get into their work and their art but sometimes the business part is really difficult because they don’t have that knowledge. It’s so sad to have friends with jealousy. I even helped a friend produced, direct and star in his movie. Which by the way went to the big screen. He was dealing with celebrities and our friendship never faltered.
If anyone wants to see what my fashionista friend is up to in her website. Check it out below.
https://www.ivetteurbaez.com/
Receiving support vs seeking validation. Two very different issues. If you've asked and not received, I believe it's jealously. If you just haven't got the Like for a random post, well, ask yourself why do you seek their validation? Or any other one's for that matter. It's important to remember a Like from any person means you resonated with them and that's more valuable than a friend who should have Liked it.