Is Your Business Built on Shaky Ground?

I’m sure there are some business owners on TikTok who pretty darn nervous right now.

Why?

There’s talk of banning TikTok in the US, due to privacy concerns. That, in itself, is a whole ‘nuther discussion I’m not going to get into.

What I want to talk about though is your business. Just hearing talk of any big social media platform being banned should be a huge reminder that WE DON’T OWN the social media platforms we’re using.

Many people think it’s a great idea to build their business on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok – and others. But, if that platform you’ve spent your time and effort on suddenly goes away, guess what?! Your business goes away too!

YIKES!

Pretty scary thought, huh?

So how can you protect your business?

Get a Website

If you don’t already have a website, start working on one. Hire a reputable web designer to build one for you or build one yourself. Even if the majority of your business comes from social media, you need your own website. I can’t stress this enough.

Think of your website as your World Headquarters and your social media accounts as rental space for satellite offices. Your website is the main hub for everything, and even if you get evicted from the rental space you’ll still have your website.

Oh, and regarding your website, make sure you own your website too! Think twice before using Wix, Weebly, Squarespace and proprietary website builders. You can be up a creek if they go away, too. See my blog post on WordPress vs. Website Builders for more on why I’m not a fan of services like these.

Build Your Email List

Start building an email list. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve not made my email list a priority, but I’m working on it. I have plenty followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. If any of those platforms go away though, I don’t want to be stuck without a way to keep my community going. An email list will allow me to do that.

There are plenty of email marketing companies to choose from: ConvertKit, Mailchimp, ConstantContact, AWeber, and many more. Some, like ConvertKit and Mailchimp offer a free plan for people with small lists.

If you want to get on my email list, pop your email in the box below. You’ll be happy to know I won’t flood your inbox!

Social Media is Necessary

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying social media isn’t necessary. It ABSOLUTELY is! Your marketing strategy needs to include a combination of your website, email list, social media accounts, and other efforts. They all work together to give your business a robust online presence, so that if one goes down there will still be a way to keep going.

Bottom Line

Don’t rely on social media alone to build your build your business. It’s like building a house on sand. You might get lucky and that sand will never shift, but if it does . . . uh oh! Your business could come to a screeching halt.

And, regarding TikTok, do I think it’ll be banned? I hope not. I’d like to think something like that couldn’t happen in the US, but this IS 2020 after all!! 😲