If you’re struggling to market right now, you’re not alone.
You’re dealing with ongoing trouble—a steady backdrop of bad news punctuated by major tragedies. Just when one thing fades from the headlines, another takes its place. There’s very little collective exhale.
In that kind of environment, marketing can start to feel… weird. Or wrong. Or exhausting in a way it didn’t before.
You might be thinking:
- Is it ok to take a break?
- Is it okay to market during a crisis?
- What if I don’t—or can’t—take a break… is that ok?
- Is it wrong to focus on marketing when everything is on fire?
- Will anyone even see it, given everything else going on?
These questions come up every time there’s a major crisis, but they hit differently when the crises keep stacking. And they come with a lot of unspoken shame—shame about posting, shame about not posting, shame about needing money, shame that you’re not caring enough.
So let’s talk about it honestly.
Here’s my hot take on marketing during difficult times (pun intended)
Things are not ok in the world, so it’s fine if you’re not ok.
Don’t expect your normal levels of productivity when the world is not normal. We’re not meant to process constant, global-scale emergencies while pretending everything is business as usual.
Be gentle with yourself.
That gentleness might look like slowing down. Or stopping entirely for a bit. Or continuing on because you don’t actually have another option. Or because doing the work is getting you through the day.
All of those are human responses.
Things are not ok in the world, so it’s fine if you’re not ok.
Yes, it’s ok to take a break from marketing
Being gentle with yourself includes recognizing that you are a feeling human being, not a machine.
You’re going to be affected by what’s happening in your life and in the world. So are your customers and readers. If your nervous system is fried and the idea of posting feels unbearable, stepping back isn’t a failure—it’s regulation.
Budgeting your time and attention is a form of self care.
And no, taking a break doesn’t mean you’re “giving up,” “losing momentum,” or “ruining everything.” Businesses and careers are built over years, not a single social media cycle.
Continuing marketing during difficult times is also fine
You may not have a choice.
After all, we all still have to pay the electric bill even when it feels like the world is crumbling. Continued income isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about keeping things steady so you can take care of yourself, support others, and not create a personal crisis on top of everything else.
That doesn’t make you heartless. It makes you realistic.
You’re also allowed to find meaning, grounding, or even relief in continuing to work on something that matters to you.
You’re also allowed to find meaning, grounding, or even relief in continuing to work on something that matters to you.
Marketing isn’t inappropriate—tone-deaf marketing is
One of the biggest fears people have when marketing during difficult times is coming across as insensitive or opportunistic.
No one expects you to pack up shop for weeks or months. (See: electric bills.) And people still need your books, your services, and your creativity.
That includes:
- Escaping into a novel
- Getting a haircut so they can feel human again
- Hiring support so they can keep going
Those things aren’t frivolous. They’re part of how people cope.
That said, there are limits.
Two lines you shouldn’t cross
Don’t ignore major tragedies.
Posting a cheerful promo on the same day as a national or global crisis is likely to land badly, even if your intentions are good.
Don’t make someone else’s suffering about your brand.
Expressing grief or solidarity is fine. Sharing what you’re actually doing to help can be meaningful. But don’t tack a book promo onto a post about a death. (A major author did this once, and it did not go well.)
If your post would feel gross to you if someone else wrote it, that’s useful information—and a good gut check for how to market without being tone deaf.
There is no morally pure way to market during hard times
Some people will tell you the “right” thing to do is go silent. Others will insist that consistency is everything and you should push through no matter what.
Both positions are too simplistic.
Silence can be thoughtful—or it can be performative. Posting can be helpful—or it can be oblivious. The difference isn’t whether you market. It’s how and why.
You’re not a better person because you stopped posting.
You’re not a worse person because you didn’t.
The goal isn’t moral purity. It’s alignment.
If you keep marketing during difficult times, adjust how you do it
When the world is heavy, marketing often works better when it’s quieter and more intentional. That might look like:
- Acknowledge what happened without centering yourself
- Reiterate your values in ways that support the people affec∫√ted, not your own imagåe
- Lower volume instead of daily posting
- Educational or reflective content instead of hard sells
- Inviting connection rather than urgency
You don’t have to comment on every event. A simple “It’s a heavy week. I’m still here, and I’ll be sharing things that might help” is often enough.
You can also shift temporarily:
- From promotion → service
- From launches → nurturing
- From “buy now” → “here if you need this”
Marketing doesn’t have to be loud to be effective—especially when people are overwhelmed.
When the world is heavy, marketing often works better when it’s quieter and more intentional.
When it makes sense to pause marketing or a launch during difficult times
If you’re asking should I pause marketing during a tragedy, launches are usually where that question shows up most.
A product, business, or book launch is a season, not just a day.
If the entire world is distracted, overwhelmed, or in crisis, it can make sense to pause and return when people have more capacity.
True story: I was about to hit send on announcements for a book launch on January 6, 2021. Waiting a month didn’t hurt the launch at all. It helped.
That said, you can’t put things off indefinitely.
If the national or global events competing for attention aren’t going to resolve in a month—or even a year—you may need to find the least bad time to move forward in a not-so-great season.
Three questions to help you decide what to do
If you’re stuck and wondering how to market during hard times without feeling awful about it, ask yourself:
- Is this time-sensitive?
Can it wait without real consequences, or would waiting create more stress? - Am I showing up as a human or just a brand voice?
You don’t owe anyone vulnerability, but people can feel the difference. - Which choice will I regret more in a week?
Posting—or staying silent?
Your answers may change over time. That’s normal.
Final thoughts
The world being on fire is not a short-term problem. Which means marketing during difficult times isn’t something you solve once and move on from.
You’re allowed to adapt.
You’re allowed to change your mind.
You’re allowed to do the best you can with the capacity you have.
Marketing during hard times isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about staying human—yourself, and with others—while you keep going.
And sometimes, that’s enough.
