In this blog, we're going to talk about if you can run a business without social media. I definitely think that you can. I feel a lot of pressure with social media and because of that pressure, you feel like you constantly need to be posting and it makes you not want to post at all.
It's really easy to get burnt out and I personally always feel like keeping up with my social media doesn't get me anywhere. For my business, I don't get a lot of clients from social media, so I don't want to focus a lot of time on it. So I focus on other things like my podcast or blogging since that content can be found on search engines long after you create it. So the question is, can you run a business without social media? Let's get dive in.
Rather listen?
Can your business survive without social media? Yes, it can.
I think social media is good for brand awareness, behind the scenes, and quick wins. If you want to tell someone about your your pop-up jewelry party then you can post that to Instagram, Facebook or whatever you're using, and be able to implement quick marketing.
Social media is great for those quick updates, but it's definitely a time commitment for what I feel like is a little return. Unless you hit the jackpot and you have 10,000 plus followers then keep using social media. Do whatever works for you and your business.
But if you are reading this and social media isn't your favorite either you're probably looking for whatever excuse to not do it, I'm here to tell you, you don't have to do it just because everyone else is doing it.
Where does social media fall into marketing?
Social media is a great way to create personal connections like customer engagement. But social media shouldn't be the only method for your marketing when in reality I'm sure a lot of businesses only use social media marketing to get the word out about their business.
I'm predicting we will see a trend of digital detox in the future and when that happens, if you don't have other strategies in place, you're screwed.
Use social media for quick awareness, sharing behind the scenes, showing people what really makes you different, maybe even showcasing your work, but it's not the best platform if you want more sales.
Social media should be used as a funnel to get people on a landing page or your website because that's where you're going to really sell them.
It's going to take a while to get out of the habit of thinking that it's necessary to post daily on social media platforms, but it's definitely doable. Put your efforts into long form content like a YouTube tutorial, Blog Post or a Podcast. Social media does have a place in marketing, but it should 100% not be your only marketing.
Why do business think they need social media?
We see other big names have a lot of success from it and it's free!
Businesses are making all of this money from having thousands and thousands of followers and we think, hey, if they can do it, I can do it too, which is absolutely true.
But I definitely think that success comes from a little mixture of knowing what to post, good timing, and going viral. When it comes to being consistent testing to see what goes viral, you're going to burn yourself out. That's why it's so hard to keep up consistently with social media because of the need to be consistently posting and not getting much in return.
Another reason I think businesses think that they need social media is that it's free marketing. And it's true, it is free marketing. The only downside to that is that Instagram only shows your post to about 10-20% of your followers. So on average if you have 1,000 followers only about 100 to 200 of your followers will see your posts organically . And if you have a smaller following, that's under a thousand those numbers are even more incredibly frustrating. Especially when you're trying to scale and grow your business. Then you have to consider that not all of those people are going to like your post. That's why it's nice to have a multiple marketing strategies which we are about to go over. But social media is definitely a shiny marketing strategy and it's cost-effective because you're replacing your time for the money.
Alternative Marketing Strategies
I have another episode where I go deeper into these marketing strategies and that's episode 39, 10 tips to find clients as a freelancer.
Here are some alternative marketing strategies:
1. Referrals (Word of Mouth)
First is referrals or word of mouth. When you do good work and people start to recommend you.
2. Networking: Events, conferences
Go to any networking events or conferences. This could be either digital or in person. I personally think in person is better because you're forced to get out of your comfort zone and talk. It's more memorable when you meet someone face to face and you can hand them a business card or share more about your business.
3. Collaborating: Giveaways, Emails, Podcasts
You can collaborate with a giveaway, on emails or on a podcast. If you are a physical store, you can team up with a couple of other stores that work really nicely with your niche. So if you sell baby clothes, then you can partner up with someone who does baby rentals or even like a doula or something and collaborate on giveaways.
4. Ads: Facebook, Instagram, Google, YouTube, etc.
Rather than posting organically on Instagram or Facebook and not really getting a lot of return, you can run ads to these platforms and get a lot of awareness from that. You can also run ads on Google, YouTube, or Pinterest.
5. Interviews: Podcasts, panels
Get on other people's podcasts, speak on panels, and share more about your business with their audience too.
6. Email Marketing
Gather a list of people through offering a freebie, free webinar or a free workshop. That works really well and one of the methods I use in my business. Brand Style Guide Freebie FREE TRAINING - 5 DIY Strategies to Update Your Branding to Stand Out
7. Long Form Content: Blog, Podcast, YouTube Videos
Try long from content like a blog, podcast, YouTube videos, Pinterest posts, anything that can be searchable via a search engine. That's going to help you in the long run because you can create it once and then people can always come back and view it. Unlike social media, where the shelf life is one to two days, and then it's gone forever.
8. Google Business Profile
This one is key. I get most of my clients from Google, which is really nice because they're warm clients, people who are actually looking for a graphic designer, logo designer or a web designer. They're typing 'Web designer in Alaska' into Google and then my name pops up. Since they are looking for that organically, and they're ready to invest, that's where I make most of my sales. Definitely create a Google business profile.
9. Markets for physical products
If you sell physical products, go to the markets. If you're on the introverted side and you don't like markets, you just have to do it. It's something you have to do if you want to scale your business. It's so worth it!
If you're not going to use social media you NEED a website.
You need a place where people can learn about you and your products and your website is definitely the place to do that. The advantage of your website is that you don't have a lot of different things pulling at your visitors attention. All of their attention is all on you, all in your services, who you are, how you can help them, because when they're scrolling on Instagram or TikToK or Facebook, you're competing against a lot of people. That's the first part that is hard about social media. You're competing against everyone else, but you're not competing on your website. Which is why it's going to be such a wonderful asset for you to have a website.
Some people alternatively use Facebook as a website or home base for their business. I don't think that only having a Facebook page is going to cut it because you can't customize it and put necessary information on there. People won't be able to click around and find your services. You need that home base, which is your website. It provides a platform to showcase your products, your services, and share your brand stories. You will then be really able to engage with your customers directly through email or whatever form you're having them fill out. Having a website also helps with SEO (search engine optimization). So if you are again, typing anything on Google and you're looking up, 'hairstylist in Juneau, Alaska' and you have that keyword on your website, then theres a high chance you're going to be found through search engines.
Having a business website gives you credibility and a professional image, which is super essential for attracting and retaining customers, especially in the digital world we live in now having that online presence is expected. If you need a website built for you, I do have a couple of options.
If you need a website built you can learn more about me on my website at zsquaredstudio.com or check out my web design services here. If you have a really small budget, I have a one-page website build that could work for you. Or, you can have a full website build where it's five plus pages where we really go in and hone in on all your services and prices and all the good stuff.
That's all I have for you today. Have a great day and happy designing!
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Z Squared Studio is a Brand and Web Design Studio based in Juneau, Alaska. Check out www.zsquaredstudio.com for custom brand design, Alaska logo design, or web design.
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