Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

We’re not talking about investing here, although I must admit I’m partial to a re-read of the barefoot investor! 

When it comes to digital marketing, there’s a fine line between relying on one platform, and diluting your brand messaging by spreading yourself too thin. Like everything, you should be hitting that sweet spot, the middle ground where your opportunities are maximized and your time is utilized.

Rented space 

What a lot of businesses don’t realize, is that social media, and third party e-commerce platforms like Etsy are rented space. Although you may not pay a rental fee, the limitations are still the same.

• You don’t have control over the premises: The rules aren’t yours. No nails in the wall, no pets inside. In other words, your level of visibility and engagement, with the audience you’ve built, is dictated by ever changing, unwritten factors.
• You could be kicked out at anytime: This could be for a multitude of reasons, some of which you have no control over. Someone reports a photo or your account, you breach a term or condition you weren’t aware of. It happens, and in this case, the landlord’s busy dealing with other tenants. Letting you back in is very low on their list of priorities.
• Security is lax: You have very limited control over hackers or data breeches. Account losses due to these factors far more commonly than we care to think. It could happen to you! Here’s a few steps to help protect your digital assets.
• Repairs are made on someone else’s time: Platforms go down ALL. THE. TIME. If you’re relying on social media, or Etsy to prompt regular sales, this could result in a decrease in revenue during outage times. These outages are typically corrected before we notice, but occasionally channels are out of action for hours at a time. In these cases, the other platforms tend to see an uptick in traffic and engagement. What does this tell us? People are on their phones, actively looking for something to do. This is the perfect time to utilize the other touch-points you’ve been building in the background.

When it comes to owned space, these are the places you have more control. This includes your email list, your mobile list, and your website. These are platforms that aren’t reliant on a third party algorithms. They’re available to be leveraged on your terms, at any time, for any reason.

If you’re currently relying on social media to reach your audience, it might be time to switch it up! Not only will you widen the net of owned touch points, you’ll also appear more professional and build trust with potential clients. Get in touch if you’re interested in finding out how we can help build a digital presence for your business.