Earlier this year there was much upset at home when my son had his YouTube account deleted by Google.
When I got the email at midnight, I was so upset for him…he’d spent time and energy building up to 800 subscribers and was so passionate about it.
I couldn’t sleep. And as I lay there in bed worrying about how I’d break the news to him, I realised why I felt so emotional about it.
It's because it really brought home just how vulnerable our businesses can be on social networks. We're just pawns in someone else’s game. Other people make the rules and decides what goes.
The plug could get pulled at any time.
My son's experience brought home the importance of not putting all of our marketing eggs in one basket.
Accounts are deleted / banned / hacked all of the time. Often with no warning.
And if we're ONLY marketing our businesses on social media, then this could spell disaster.
Yet I see so many small businesses who are building their entire empires on Facebook / Instagram / Tik Tok - without the safety net of a website or native platform behind them.
I’m not exaggerating when I say the thought of this literally makes me break out in a cold sweat.
I get why we are so obsessed with marketing on Instagram. The instant validation, the dopamine hit that comes with feeling accepted.
And of course...it's relatively quick and free to implement compared to the time it takes to create longer form content.
But here's the thing:
Social media is not a marketing strategy, it’s a marketing channel.
I'm going to say that again because it's REALLY important.
Social media is not a marketing strategy, it’s a marketing channel.
We need to first look after the centre of our marketing eco system, and then allow the overflow to spill out across our social channels.
This is why all signs point to the importance of having your own website, so that you can create your empire on your own land.
Once we've done that, we need to get that machine turning for us, by becoming a beacon and a hub for others with our content.
If you've got a website already...
Make sure the basics are working for you.
If you've got a website already, make sure that it's doing its job for you across the pillars of style, story, SEO, structure and strategy.
Your website should feel like an accurate representation of your brand because showing up with the right brand energy is so important for feeling confident to market your business with passion.
As we all know, our brand is so much more than a logo and our website is vitally important when it comes to brand positioning and message.
If you're reluctant to share your website because it doesn't feel like you or it's completely out of date, then there is some work to do.
Next...build your base of content
Once you've got the basics in place, then I'd encourage you to consider starting a blog. There are so many reasons why blogging is seriously good news for your business.
Write content that you feel passionate to share and that will help your ideal audience. Content that allows you to share your perspective about what you do and what you see in the world.
This will become the foundation of a content marketing system and has far more longevity than a Insta post.
In particular, I recommend creating nurturing evergreen content which will build connection and position you as as expert in your field.
You can then employ content repurposing techniques to squeeze the juice out of each piece of evergreen content that you create.
If you're thinking "but I don't have the hours in the day for all of this", then I've got you covered.
Here is the beauty of it:
Since you've already done the hard work in creating content which is infused with your brand voice, you can easily outsource the repurposing side of things, safe in the knowledge that it will still sound like you.
Obviously a blog is just one way of sharing your voice, you could also consider a podcast, but a blog is a gentle and accessible way in which is why I recommend it to my clients.
If you don't yet have a website...
It's time to start
I know that there are so many reasons to put off your website...cost, time, experience, overwhelm are all things that I see coming up again and again.
You may feel that you're just getting started in business and are wondering if you even need a website from day one.
Or you may simply not know where to start with it all...
Whatever the reason you've put it off until now, I'd gently encourage you to make a commitment to doing it, so that you have an online home to signpost people to.
If budget or time is your block then, know that your website doesn’t need to be complicated and you CAN do it yourself if you feel inclined. A simple one page website with contact page that’s aligned to your brand and optimised for search engines can be enough to get started with.
This will give you an online base from which to grow and you can build it out by adding to it as you go.
As soon as you are ready, you can then start to employ some of the content marketing tactics in the above section.
Your website also doesn’t need to be complicated in terms of technology. I believe you should have a website that enables your business rather than hinders it and it should be simple to use and navigate.
You don't have to be overwhelmed with technology every time you want to make a change which is why I recommend and build my websites in Wix.
There are also many other platforms that offer ease and flexibility and we are all so different. I'd encourage you to experiment before committing to a platform.
In summary
Creating content purely for social means that we will always be at the mercy of the social media networks and algorithms, and I for one have grown tired of this over the years.
I want more control which is why I am adjusting my sails in regards to my marketing approach.
Social media plays an important role in our marketing efforts, but it shouldn't be the central cog in the machine - it works best when in conjuction with a wider content marketing strategy that is considered and intentional.
This feels like a much gentler way of marketing.
With heart
Lucy
About Lucy:
I'm a brand designer, photographer and Wix website designer based in the UK. I help wellness & creative businesses build their brand and online presence through photography and web, brand & human design, so that they can create positive ripples in the world.
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