Social Media Isn’t Enough

I hear it all the time. "I don't really need a website. I have ____________." That blank is usually filled with either "Facebook" or "Instagram." For small business owners who don’t think they need a website because they have a social page: YOU. ARE. SO. WRONG!

That may seem harsh but this is serious. If you’re serious about your business, this is a really big deal. So read on.

Last week I rebuilt someone’s business Facebook page because they had been hacked. One of the owners was their only admin and couldn’t access their personal page or business page.

I had to create a new email account for her, (because you can’t use the same one as your old profile), set up a new personal profile, then create a new business page under her account and make myself admin so I could set it all up. It’s a major pain in butt!

They lost all their followers and all their content. I had to contact their printer just to get photos to add to the new page. However, they lost something bigger - credibility as an established business, history and longevity. They lost all of their reviews. The whole page was just GONE! The name they were under was “taken” (thanks Facebook security) so I came up with a new one. It was critical to get back up and online - fast.

So now they have to change the link on all their other marketing materials. New business cards, new menus, new ads, etc. I’m not even sure how it’s going to impact their third party partnerships like Uber Eats and Food Dudes. But that doesn’t matter. Because yesterday I got an email that she had been hacked AGAIN! And couldn’t access her personal page. Guess what that means? Yup! No access to the business page. Gah! And more expenses! Not to mention the time this is taking away from them running their business operations.

This is just one instance where a business was built on rented land (as I call social media platforms) and has no control over what happens to their account and its content. That’s why social media alone is not cool! You need a presence online where you have control and can reach someone if technology goes awry. Have you ever tried to contact Facebook Thank godness this particular business has a website!

Another small business, who doesn’t have a website, recently shared with me that if they message too many customers, Facebook flags them and they get put into Facebook jail! Eeeek! That will put a halt on your holiday orders for sure. They’re working on getting a site up now, thankfully!

Social media is great. It’s convenient, it’s easy to use, it’s seeming reliable. It’s a great way to engage with customers. It’s a great tool for selling. But it’s incredibly vulnerable!

Create a Google My Business page. Create multiple social media accounts. You don’t *have* to have me create a website for you, but for the love of baby Jesus, get a website!

If you think the cost of a website is high and have a hard time justifying it - let me assure you, the cost of not having one, is so much higher! Just ask someone who lost their social media page.