106: When the Algorithm Doesn’t Hear You: Why Women’s Content Struggles to Be Seen

In this reflective final episode of the Social Media Is Optional series, Jules explores why women’s voices - especially in the beauty, health, and wellness industries - are so often overlooked online.

She shares insights from recent research showing how posts about women’s bodies and wellbeing are frequently flagged, hidden, or deprioritised by social media algorithms, and why even Google and YouTube aren’t always as fair as they seem.

This episode unpacks what that bias means for small business owners and why relying solely on social media isn’t the only route to visibility. Jules also shares her own shift away from using social media as a marketing channel, choosing instead to build visibility through the spaces she owns - her website, podcast, and community.

Key Takeaways:

• How the bias within algorithms limits women’s visibility online
• Why posts about women’s health and wellbeing are often censored or deprioritised
• What this means for small businesses in beauty, health, and wellness
• Why owning your platforms (website, email, podcast) gives you lasting control and reach
• How to start making the shift away from social media - one calm, practical step at a time

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Conversation with Rebecca McKay-Miller (Block & Rose) - on thought leadership and visibility
• CensHERship white paper — survey on content restrictions affecting women’s health and wellbeing
• LinkedIn experiment by Cindy Gallop, Jane Evans, Matt Lawson, and Steven McGinnis - comparing post reach

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