Chances are, you clicked on this article because of the headline. It sounds outrageous! Don’t use social media? We must be crazy!
Well, that’s not exactly what we mean. There’s a place for social media, and you should use it. You shouldn’t build your business on Facebook or Twitter.
What Do We Mean by ‘Building Your Business on Social Media’?
First, discuss precisely what ‘building your business on social media’ means. It means using social media exclusively as your online presence. This is wildly different from simply using social media.
If you have social media accounts, you should also have a website and domain. Everything you do on social media should point followers to your products, services, articles, or email lists that can all be accessed from your website. Your business shouldn’t depend on social media as it is only a connection between you and your customers. Here are two reasons why.
Using Social Media Is Costing More and More Money
When Facebook first started, it was completely free and having a page there is still free today. What a great way to share information about your new business! With millions of users, you can gain access to thousands of people who are interested in what you have to offer.
Social media sites will likely start costing more money in the future. As popular sites like Facebook and Twitter expand, they are going to be looking for ways to take advantage of the wonderful services they have to offer, which means charging you for various aspects of their platform. Ads already cost money now. If they aren’t charging you yet, you can bet that they’ll start charging you in the future.
The question then becomes, “Why not spend a little money to use social media?”
- Use your money to build your website, create quality blog content, and list ads online instead.
- Social media sites tell a minimal story about your business. You shouldn’t pay for a platform that doesn’t allow you to express yourself how you want.
- Just because someone follows you today doesn’t mean they’ll follow you tomorrow. How will you reach that person if they suddenly disappear from your account?
Spend your money on something you own, ensuring you have complete control. After all, what would happen to your business tomorrow if that social media site suddenly disappeared? If it suddenly became unpopular?
Successful Brands Don’t Build Their Business on Other Platforms
If you’re considering shopping for an item on Amazon, visit their Facebook page. What about Apple? Of course, you don’t! You visit their website directly. That’s because successful brands don’t build their business on other platforms.
You should strive to have complete control over your content; the only way you can do that is with a website you own. Policies on social media sites change all the time. Why would you want to deal with all that when you can control the policies yourself?
Social media is a great way to share content posted on your website, and it’s great for building a fanbase, but it’s not an excellent way to build your brand. If you could help with your social media or website strategies, contact us, and we’ll make sure you have complete control over your content.