Does Your Business Need a Website, or is Social Enough?
Does Your Business Need a Website, or is Social Enough?It doesn’t take a detective to notice the ways social media is changing. With the ability to communicate with your audience, book appointments, and make purchases all directly in apps like Facebook and Instagram, you might be wondering if it’s even necessary to have a website.
To be blunt, every business should have a website. Now, that’s not to say you shouldn’t use social media. For some businesses, social media can even be more valuable than a website. However, social media simply doesn’t offer what a website can.
From getting long-term value out of content, owning a platform, and benefiting from unshakeable stability, your website has vital benefits that social platforms can’t offer. Keep reading to learn more about these benefits, and why you should consider doubling down on your website!
Your Content Retains Value And Visibility On Your Website
If you manage your business’ social media, you probably know that educational content is one of the most valuable things you can share. However, social media algorithms will always prioritize new content. While you can repurpose old content, it’s still only going to have an impact of, say, a week at most before it’s completely buried in your audience’s feeds. How does this compare to your website?
Well, search engines like Google and Bing have their own algorithms, but they value quality above all. This means that if you produce a high-quality piece of content, it can drive visitors to your site for years – not just a day or two.
Sure, social media can be powerful, but the benefits of individual posts are typically very short-term. On the other hand, your website’s content will probably have a slower liftoff, but can provide value for far longer than it would on social media. My advice? Build content for your website; repurpose it on social platforms.
Owning a Platform Gives You Direct Access to Your Audience
Let’s briefly consider how social media platforms display your content to users:
- They display your posts to your followers—unless the algorithm decides not to.
- They display your posts in your audience’s discover and for-you pages—unless the algorithm decides not to.
Ultimately, you don’t have control when it comes to social platforms.
It can be incredibly frustrating when your social posts engage users, attract new customers, and lead to sales for months. And then, one day, they just don’t. The fickle nature of social media leaves your business vulnerable if it’s your main customer acquisition funnel. Fortunately, your website offers more control.
With a website, you set the terms for what’s shown and how long. Plus, you can collect audience email addresses on your website, giving you direct access to their inboxes with email marketing. In short, your website is the key to building and maintaining an audience over time, regardless of what any social media platform’s algorithm throws your way.
Your Website Is Stable When Social Platforms Are In Free-fall
Ask any social media marketer how they’ve been doing since Elon Musk took over Twitter and they’ll tell you, ‘uh, not great.’ The rapid changes have made the platform everything from a liability to a barren wasteland for all kinds of businesses. Is your content getting shown to your audience? Or do you now have to pay for ‘organic’ social? It can be hard to tell.
Unfortunately, the only thing you can know with certainty is that when changes come to social media platforms, your business won’t be consulted ahead of time. Whether it’s an algorithm shifting to favor short-form video content or undergoing any other shift, social media can leave your business at risk for losing its audience overnight. Websites don’t do that.
Social Media or a Website? Use Both for Digital Marketing Success
Let me be clear: I don’t want to downplay the role of social media. It’s huge. A decade ago, social media was still for reaching ‘young people,’ but everyone’s on it now. It’s not perfect for every industry, but many businesses have been able to use it to connect with potential customers or clients.
However, social media is still changing rapidly. This makes it a highly-volatile marketing tool. If social is your entire marketing strategy, you’re not only missing out on other traffic, but you’re also vulnerable to the whims of those platforms. A website can provide stability, give you direct access to your audience, and let your content’s value grow over time, rather than diminish.
What do you think? Leave a comment if your social accounts have been damaged after algorithm changes. If you’re planning to double down on search engine marketing, don’t hesitate to reach out.
About The Author
Carter Uslabar is a digital marketer living in Milwaukee. He helps businesses drive results and connect with their audiences by optimizing their websites and developing content marketing strategies. You can find him on LinkedIn.