Last Updated on August 26, 2024 by Jan Barley
Social Media Marketing is the Go-To for New Business Owners, But Is That The Right Thing to Do?
You shouldn’t rely on social media marketing? Jan, have you gone mad? Nope. Hear me out.
This morning, I had a stark reminder about social media marketing, which was deeply unpleasant. It may happen to you at some time, weeks, months or years later.
My Pinterest account got suspended!
At the risk of sounding dramatic, I was heartbroken. I’ve invested in Pinterest courses and lovingly branded my pins recently. I love the creative process, and it makes me happy.
But, Jan, I’ve Started a Business. I Need Social Media
I’m not saying you don’t use social media, but this article concerns whether these platforms are the best way to promote your business. Like me, when you started social media marketing, you assumed that was the right thing to do.
A social media presence can help get your business noticed, but many other ways are less fragile.
So, let’s stop this nonsense and find out the 5 reasons you shouldn’t rely on social media.
#1: You Don’t Own The Social Media Platform
Yeah, I know that’s obvious. Still, it’s a vital point. You are camping your business on someone else’s property, and they can ask you to leave anytime. And the thing is, they rarely ask you to leave. You wake up and find all your camping gear dumped on the road for the squirrels to eat.
So far, My account got removed from Substack for “phishing”, and Pinterest suspended me overnight for “spam.” I have appealed, and I think I know what I might have done wrong. Still, it shakes you up when you’ve put so much time and effort into building your account.
Often, bots patrol your accounts, and you might lose it randomly because the bot hadn’t eaten that morning. I don’t know. Whatever it is, you could get any of your social media accounts randomly suspended, banned or restricted, and there’s bugger all you can do about it.
#2: Social Media Apps Can and Do Randomly Glitch
Do you remember when Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp apps went down for hours? It caused absolute havoc and caused a lot of financial loss, millions of dollars.
Much like what financial advisors tell us about investing, it’s essential to diversify your marketing efforts. When something happens like this, it shouldn’t crucify your business.
#3: Do You Remember Search Engines? They Still Work, You Know
Although it may seem like people spend most of their lives scrolling on social media apps, they still use search engines. Think for a moment. When you want to know something, where do you go? A search engine.
As more social media platforms filter advertising into the feed (yes, Instagram, I mean you), It’s becoming annoying, and we want better.
As an SEO writer, I know the power of Google. A company I left in May 2023 still has my content ranking, even though the last published post was in April 2023. Imagine if they’d kept me on.
You don’t need to be a great writer. You can use SEO Writing software. The goal is to provide value. Read my post on the 7 types of blog content Google loves and get started. Write at least one post each week and keep going. It takes time.
#4: Social Media is Massively Time Consuming
Social media is addictive because it gives us a dopamine hit every time someone likes or comments on our posts. You can start kidding yourself that you’re working when, in reality, you’re endlessly scrolling, hungry for the fix.
Not only that, how many hours do you spend creating content? Then, you post or schedule content every day. It all takes time.
#5: There’s No Guarantee Of A Return
The final reason you shouldn’t rely on social media marketing may seem obvious, but we often forget the importance of not relying on social media.
Here’s an example. I started my Instagram account around two months ago, posting two reels daily and averaging 20-200 views on my reels. I get around 500 views on my TikTok videos that I schedule daily on weekdays.
The only platform that was seriously starting to make a difference was Pinterest. I will either get my account reinstated or start a new one. I learned the hard way, but it will mess up my work so far.
Every day on Instagram Threads, people moan about the poor Instagram reach. The feed is full of adverts, and the platform uses a draconian approach to commenting.
Many people, including myself, get comments restricting for saying things like. “Well done. That’s a great result.” WTAF! My way around it is to stop commenting.
You can post on social media for months and get little return, or your account can take off like a rocket.
Conclusion
You understand why you shouldn’t rely on social media marketing but, by all means, build your social media presence. Social media is a great way to build brand awareness and community, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Digital marketing isn’t only about utilising social media.
Focus on building digital real estate so you have control over what you can and can’t do. Build your website, learn SEO, and create a solid holistic foundation of content that provides value by helping your audience.
