Websites and Social Media

My daily commute is about 50 minutes (each way), which gives me plenty of thinking time. On these commutes, I've put together marketing campaigns, fundraising ideas, design concepts and more in my head. This past week, I started thinking about when I first started creating websites and how interest has waned over the past five years. The first title of this blog was Websites vs. Social Media, but it's not a contest between the two. Each has its place and work well as a combined front.

Social media and the gamble With the rise of social media, it's made it easier than ever to build and connect with your friends and fan base. Having a website seems less necessary when you Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter available at your fingertips and instantly updatable. Your social accounts allow you to communicate your message and showcase your personality and talents in real time.

I was listening to a podcast and was reminded that while social media helps build those connections, it does so on platforms owned by providers, which creates the potential for your account to be shut down for breaching their terms of service. It's important to read the fine print (aka terms and conditions) for using apps and platforms. For example, how many times have you used a third-party app to repost someone's post/photo on Instagram? Instagram made it difficult to share content on its platform - on purpose. While there are now reposting guidelines in place, which include asking for permission before regramming, how many actually follow them?

Recently, Facebook has been cracking down on content and there is also a history of Youtube content creators who have had their channels suspended or even deleted, resulting in years of lost content and followers/fans. Last year, one of my friends lost access to her Facebook account due to a hacker. Despite numerous attempts, she was never able to regain access and lost hundreds of personal photos. Ask yourself this question - what would you do if you lost access to your account tomorrow?

The role of a website A website can be cost effective and allows your full control over your content. It's much more customizable than social media and can accurately represent your personality and lifestyle and can even be static, like an online resume. For individuals, such as athletes or writers, it can be the jewel in the crown of your online presence. For your business, it can be the hub of your marketing efforts and can be utilized to build your sales funnel or serve as the entry point to create an email list all of your followers. It can also be a virtual door to answer questions about your products or company even while your physical one is closed.

Perfect harmony

Your website can send your fans to your social media accounts for a more personal connection, while your social media accounts can point your followers to your website, which is your hub for information and your message. They can coexist, working together to each do their part to advance you and your initiatives.

Questions or comments? I'd love to hear your thoughts via my contact page.

Until next time,

Daphne