As a solopreneur, it can be tempting to rely solely on social media marketing to build your business. After all, social media platforms offer a free and easy way to reach a large audience, right? While social media can be a valuable tool for promoting your business, it’s important to recognize that it shouldn’t be your only strategy. In this post, you’ll learn seven reasons why marketing for solopreneurs should include more than just social media to grow.
1. Social media algorithms can be unpredictable
Social media algorithms are constantly changing, which can make it difficult to maintain consistent visibility, especially if you haven’t already outlined an effective social media strategy. For example, a change in the algorithm could result in your post being shown to fewer people, or in a different order than before, even if you haven’t changed your strategy. Although the algorithm can be unpredictable, marketing for solopreneurs should always have a defined and well planned strategy.
We’ve all seen and heard of the algorithm horror stories which is why I recommend not getting caught up in it. When you have a strategy outlined for your marketing, that’s where your focus should be. Not on the daily temperature and tactics of the algorithm.
2. Social media is becoming increasingly crowded
Social media platforms are becoming more and more crowded as more businesses join the space. This means that it’s becoming harder to stand out and capture your audience’s attention amidst all the noise.
Knowing which social media platforms your audience hangs out on is the key to building an effective strategy. To figure this out, you need to know as much about your audience as possible. What are their pain points, likes, dislikes? What type of work do they do? What do they like to do for entertainment? The more you know about them, the better you’ll be able to decide which platform to focus on.
3. Social media is not a guaranteed source of traffic
While social media can drive traffic to your website or online store, it’s important to remember that it’s not a guaranteed source of traffic. Changes in algorithms or trends can result in a decrease in traffic, and relying solely on social media for traffic can leave you vulnerable to fluctuations. Who has time to try to figure all that out?
4. Social media can be time-consuming
Managing multiple social media platforms can be time-consuming, and it can be difficult to keep up with the demands of creating new content and engaging with your audience on each platform. That’s why it’s so important that marketing for solopreneurs include a good time management plan.
I recommend you set a timer for no more than 5-10 minutes at a time on a platform. This way, you don’t get caught up spending unnecessary time on it. Plus, you don’t have to worry about other tasks getting behind because you spent too much time on a platform.
5. Social media can be distracting
Social media can be a major distraction for solopreneurs who are trying to focus on building their businesses. It’s easy to get sucked into the endless scrolling and notifications, which can take away from other important tasks.
I’ve had to catch myself a few times from the endless scrolling. Now when I open up one of my social media platforms I go straight to the notifications so that I can focus on my engagement on the platform instead. As a result, it’s rare that I fall into the “endless scrolling” trap.
6. Social media doesn’t allow for direct relationship building
While social media can help you reach a large audience, it doesn’t allow for the same level of direct relationship building that other strategies like email marketing or other networking events can. This can make it difficult to establish strong lasting connections with your audience.
Let’s look at email for example. When you use email marketing you’re able to reach a wide audience quickly. With a single click, you can send a message to thousands of people at once. The best part about it, these are people that have already told you they want to hear from you. They’ve signed up to receive your emails.
7. Social media is subject to change
Finally, it’s important to remember that social media is subject to change. Platforms can come and go, and the algorithms and rules can change at any time. Relying solely on social media for your business means that you’re placing your fate in the hands of these platforms, which can be risky.
In conclusion, while social media can be a valuable tool for solopreneurs, it shouldn’t be the only strategy for building your business. By diversifying your marketing efforts and focusing on other tactics like email marketing, content marketing, and networking, you can create a more stable and sustainable business in the long run.
Now that you understand more about why you should use more than just social media marketing to grow, I want to provide you with my 10-point checklist, Top 10 Tools To Grow Your New Online Business As A Solopreneur.
Click here to download a printable PDF so you can keep these tools handy.
WRITTEN BY
Demet Nicole
Online Marketing Solopreneur & Business Coach
As an online marketing solopreneur and coach, Demet Nicole helps solopreneurs grow and stand out online using digital organization & brand strategy, beyond the 9-5.
