Social Media Is Never Guaranteed. Your Blog Is an Asset You Control.
Social media is great. I use it myself, and there is no doubt that it can help you get your business and your content in front of people.
But there is one thing I have learned over the years. You don’t actually own social media. You are using somebody else’s platform, and that means they make the rules.
An account that you have spent years building can potentially be restricted, suspended or have its reach reduced. The platform can change its rules or its algorithm, and suddenly you are not reaching the same people you were before. That is why I believe having your own blog is so important.
Your blog is your home online
For me, a blog is much more than somewhere to publish articles. It is your own little piece of the internet.
You choose the domain name, you decide what you want to write about and you build the website around your own business and interests.
You are not relying completely on somebody else’s platform.
That doesn’t mean everything is guaranteed. You still have hosting companies, domain providers and search engines to deal with, and they all have their own rules.
But there is a big difference between building your business on your own website and building everything around a social media account.
If something changes on Facebook or another platform, your blog is still sitting there.
Social media can change very quickly
I’ve seen how quickly things can change online.
What worked a few years ago doesn’t necessarily work today. Platforms change their algorithms, the way they display content changes and organic reach can become harder.
You might have thousands of followers but still find that only a small percentage actually see what you post.
That can be frustrating when you have spent years building that audience.
And this is why I would never want my entire online business to depend on one social media platform.
I would rather use social media to help people find my website.
Build something you own
One of the biggest reasons I like blogging is that you are building something over time.
Every useful article you publish becomes another piece of content on your website.
Some articles might not do much at first. Others might start bringing visitors from Google or other search engines weeks or months later.
You can also go back and improve your older content.
That is very different from social media, where a post can disappear down someone’s feed very quickly.
Your blog can keep working for you long after you have published an article.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
I’m not saying don’t use social media. I think social media is still a very useful part of online marketing.
Use Facebook. Use YouTube. Use Instagram. Use TikTok.
Use whatever platforms make sense for your audience. But don’t make them the only place where your business exists.
I see social media as a way of getting people to discover what I do. My website is where I want them to go.
That way, I’m not completely dependent on somebody else’s platform.
Your email list is important too
There is another part of this that I think is worth mentioning.
If someone visits your blog and decides to join your email list, you have another way of staying connected with them.
Again, there are rules around email marketing and you need to follow them, but you are not relying entirely on an algorithm deciding whether someone sees your next post.
You can build a relationship with your audience over time. For me, that is what online business is really about.
It isn’t just about getting as many followers as possible. It is about building something that can continue to grow.
A blog takes time
I don’t want to give anyone the impression that starting a blog means you will suddenly have thousands of visitors.
It doesn’t work like that. You have to put the work in.
You need to create useful content, learn some SEO, understand your audience and keep improving.
Some articles will work better than others. You will make mistakes. I certainly have. But that is part of the journey.
Over time, your website can become a valuable collection of content that represents you, your experience and what you have learned.
The answer is not to leave social media
I still believe social media has a place in online business.
The difference is how you use it. I don’t want to build everything on a platform that I don’t control.
I’d rather have my own website at the centre and use social media as another way of getting people to it.
That gives me different traffic sources rather than putting everything into one basket.
And if one platform changes its rules tomorrow, I haven’t suddenly lost everything I’ve built.
My view
I’ve been involved in the online industry for many years, and if there is one thing I would tell anyone starting out, it is this.
Build something of your own. Social media can help you. It can bring you visitors, followers and opportunities.
But remember that you are still using somebody else’s platform. They can change the rules.
They can change the algorithm. And in some situations, an account can be restricted or closed.
Your blog gives you a place to build your own content and your own brand.
That is why I believe every serious blogger or online entrepreneur should consider having their own website.
Social media can close you down as quickly as that. Your blog gives you somewhere to keep building.
For me, that’s the answer. Build your own digital home first, then use social media to help people find it.
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Affiliate disclaimer
This article may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service through one of these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and resources that I believe may be useful to my readers. My opinions are my own and are based on my experience and research.
Results from blogging or online business can vary, and there is no guarantee of income or specific results.