Where are my bloggers/vloggers, merch-sellers, or just creatives in general? We all work so hard on building our social media platforms, making sure we engage with our audiences with flawless pictures that help keep the likes and comments racking up! Even still, I have one question: Are you really building what’s most important? 

I talk to women all the time about building their platform, and they always tell me the same thing: that they don’t have enough followers Instagram. And I get it; it’s the most popular platform, the one everyone worries about most, and with good reason! The demand for an Instagram presence is higher than ever before. Even still, it’s important to remember that it’s about building the RIGHT thing. If Instagram is gone tomorrow, how will you connect with your audience? 

1. It gives you ownership. What if Facebook suddenly shuts down? What if Instagram up and says they’re done? What will you have left? Yes, these platforms are fun, allow you to be creative, and make it easy to connect with friends and supporters, but it’s important to remember that they are NOT YOURS. We don’t own these pages, and if they want to wipe us out tomorrow, they can. This is why it’s critical that you have your own real estate online. Purchase a domain and put all of your captivating content on your site; you can still share this with your audience on social media, but now, if sites shut down or go dark (remember that dismal day last month when IG was broken?), you can still have access to the amazing content you’ve published online.

2. Your connection with your audience never ends. As I said above, if social media platforms disappear, or if the algorithm continues to get funky (because we all know it’s been trippin’ lately), you need to maintain your connection with your audience and keep the conversation constant. When you depend heavily on social media, you’re at the constant mercy of their algorithm. Your message gets lost, which means your offerings aren’t seen, advice isn’t read, and stunning content isn’t viewed. Whether you have 500, 5,000, or 50,000 followers, taking your audience off social and connecting via email ensures you never lose touch. Your offers go directly into their inbox, and you’ll never miss a sale due to funky algorithms again.

3. They’re useful money-making tools. Piggy-backing off #2: if you’re a blogger, your blog and newsletter are not only important content-sharing tools, but they’re also avenues in which you can make money. Use affiliate links and share those links on your blog to get sales percentages for yourself. Share your favorite shopping lists or new items you’ve found online, and all of this can create revenue from you as you share with your readers and they make purchases using your link. Every time I share a link with my readers, if they purchase I get a percentage. We’ve gotta make this money, honey! 

4. SHARE YOUR STORY! Yes, social media platforms exist, but there’s only so much you can share on social media. It gives a solid glimpse into who you are, but you should pull them into your other platforms to let them truly connect and dig deeper into what you and your brand represent. Utilize teasers on social media, then drive traffic elsewhere. Provide exclusive email and/or website content, like videos or giveaways. If you have a YouTube channel, upload videos manually to your website. Most importantly, save all your videos, photos, and even blog posts to a backup hard drive so you never lose any of the great work you’ve created.  

Photography: Brandon Grate | Top: Zara | Jeans: Zara

By now, I trust you see how utterly important it is to have a place to call your home; a place you own. After all, you’re more than a blogger, more than an influencer. You are a brand, a BUSINESS. Take it seriously, make your money, and leave your mark on this digital world! I promise, you won’t regret it.

With that said, I trust you’ve already subscribed to the MC Newsletter. Have you? If not, you’re seriously slipping, but you can just scroll down and do so before leaving this site! I’m always excited to connect with you guys, and excited to see more of you OFF social media. 😉 

Until next time!