The thoroughly 21st-century phenomenon of taking a “digital detox” has been gaining traction. It might even be trending by now, if not for its adherents maintaining detachment from their devices and social networks.

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While typically practiced by individuals on a strictly temporary basis—a few quiet hours here and there for the casual detoxer, a peaceful Sabbath for the committed, even a multi-day run for the truly ascetic—a mindful unplugging can have significant benefits. These conscientious objectors report a deeper sense of presence, self-reflection and connection to others.

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We believe that in our age of never-ending content creation, many brands deserve a similar breather. So we’re calling on you, social media manager, to turn off the firehose for one day on behalf of your brand and do something truly extraordinary for our times—say nothing.

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Call it, say, March Muteness. This year, we propose celebrating on March 5, so as not to spoil Casimir Pulaski festivities the day before. We see few major conflicts on 3/5, with all due respect to the feast day of St. Piran, best known for (accidentally) discovering tin. We also see no big harm in coinciding with National Cheese Doodle Day on the fifth, since presumably Chester Cheetah could use a breather.

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It may be tempting to put together a hashtag for March Muteness, but in the spirit of the occasion, it’s probably best avoided. So we’re leaving our supply of pound signs in storage.

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Why reserve a day to embrace silence? First and foremost, it’s for the mental health of social media professionals like you. The jury may still be out on whether corporations are people, but we can all agree that brands are run by them. And the pressure to maintain a constant stream of posts has to be exhausting. 

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We see the drain in our clients and our industry peers—even feel a touch ourselves sometimes. Between the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, and the early tremors of an election year, couldn’t we all use a little dose of quiet?

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On March Muteness day itself, we propose that you and your team use the occasion for self reflection. It’s your chance to take an honest and unflinching look at what your brand has been saying day in and day out. Ask yourself: Is your tone of voice consistent? Have you been sharp enough in differentiating your content from that of your competitors? Might you have spilt too many pixels on product specs and not enough on real customer benefits?

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For our valued peers in other agencies, similar questions apply, but with far lower stakes. Did your company really need to take a position on National Donut Day? How badly does the world want to know details about your new receptionist’s cat? Does anyone hunger for one more article on using AI to prioritize features for replatforming your B2B ecommerce MVP? 

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March Muteness day also offers a chance to really listen to your stakeholders. Put away the NPS data, pop-up surveys, and social listening bots. Instead, have real-time conversations with human beings who matter to your brand’s success. Customers, yes, but engage your detractors too. Chances are the world has no shortage of opinions about how you’re doing, but you may have to ask first—and be willing to hear people out.

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Finally, we suggest taking the day to practice your own detoxification as a consumer. Put those devices in a drawer, close the laptop, and maybe pull out a pen and a journal. Difficult as it may be, resist the temptation to send any faxes. With March Muteness sure to catch fire globally, take comfort in knowing you’ll be missing little to no content of value for those blissful 24 hours.

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Friends, we know this effort won’t be easy. But you can do this, and your brand will be the better for it. And remember, it’s just one day. You still have the rest of March to dispense unsolicited viewpoints on amateur basketball, document drinking events for the non-Irish, and pander to fans of the vernal equinox.

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And one final note: while we’re deploying the concept of muteness here, we would never want to be accused of ableism. To that end, we’ve made a proactive donation to the Selective Mutism Association, and are thus officially blameless. 

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So if anyone feels like speaking up against us, well, you know what to do.

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Indelibly yours,

Matt, Thom, Mike & Jeff