According to Greek philosopher Heraclitus, change is the only constant in life. A fact that we, as small business owners, are very aware of, especially when it comes to social media. But how do we market our small businesses in such a fast-changing environment?
Whether newly introduced changes stick around for good, or find themselves being rolled back due to backlash, the uncertainty is real. It can often feel like you’ve just gotten into the flow of something when the rug is pulled out from under you.
So, what do you do? Deleting the offending app might be the most attractive course of action in the moment! But we all know that, long term, that isn’t the solution. In this post, I’ll explore how to handle changes on social media when you’re running a small business.
Always expect change
One of the biggest triggers of overwhelm is when something catches us off guard. Most business owners like to be in total control at all times! And sadly, when dealing with technology and third-party sites, that just isn’t possible.
So before we delve into the specifics, it’s important to stress that expecting the unexpected isn’t just sensible. It’s essential! Over time, all websites and apps will evolve. In some cases, this won’t impact how we use it day to day. But in many others, it will. Being mentally prepared for the fact that changes on social media will happen, whether we like them or not, is vital!
Adapt, don’t abandon!
When things appear to be changing, it’s common for people to fall into one of two camps:
- They dig their heels in and refuse to change their strategy; or…
- They jump head first into a new approach, abandoning everything they did before.
Both of these decisions are driven by fear. And that’s natural! But neither of these options is going to help your business continue to thrive during these changes.
As for point one, change is inevitable and fighting it is futile. So the best thing you can do is find your own ways to embrace new strategies. That doesn’t mean filming a viral dance challenge for the sake of it! But it does mean that if, for example, you’ve tended to stick to photos only, and video is proving to perform better, refusing to adapt will put you at a disadvantage. So test the water with a quick behind-the-scenes video, or an Instagram Reel showing off one of your products and see if it actually performs better.
However, these new approaches should add to your existing strategy in the beginning – not replace it. The platform might prefer a shiny new feature, but your audience has been used to a certain type of content from you. Switching that over entirely can be extremely jarring. So take your time to explore and adapt.
And remember, we’ve seen it happen before – sufficient backlash from users can sometimes cause app developers to rethink their decisions. Changes on social media aren’t always permanent. So don’t immediately throw away a successful strategy! Carry on with what has been working for you, while testing new approaches.
Diversify your marketing strategy
We all know the old saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. It’s important in most areas of business, and life. But when it comes to marketing, it’s absolutely crucial. Losing access to a valuable audience is extremely difficult. So, do your best to make sure your audience isn’t only in one place.
I’ve said many times before that there’s no need to be “everywhere” online. Don’t waste time on a TikTok account if it doesn’t suit your business! But chances are, your customers will be present across more than one digital platform. To lessen the stress changes on social media can cause, be sure to diversify.
Building up a steady following on LinkedIn as well as Facebook, for example, spreads your net out that bit wider. Ensuring that you’re putting effort into both means that in the event that Facebook is no longer a viable option, all is not lost! If you’ve been engaging with your network regularly on LinkedIn, you can build on that.
And be sure to let your audience on one platform know that they can also find you on the other! That way they’ll hopefully follow you on both, giving you an added layer of security if one platform goes down.
Prioritise your own website and mailing list
Over the last decade, more and more businesses have found success through their social media presence. Whether it’s through engaging on LinkedIn or sharing beautiful content on Instagram, these platforms have been game-changing. But, as third-party apps, the basic fact of the matter is that we don’t own them. So relying on them for the majority of our income is a risky move.
Disruption from major changes on social media is bad enough. But the reality is, that it’s even possible to lose access to accounts. Many businesses have been faced with the devastating results of a hacked account or blocked login. Growing your following to 100,000 only to lose access and never recover it is a massive blow to any thriving business.
So above all else, prioritise your own website and mailing list. Building a presence that you are in complete control of means that when these changes do happen, it isn’t the end of the world. Focus on creating an SEO-optimised website, that people can find you on via search engines, social media or offline sources such as your business cards and flyers.
And make sure that across all of your accounts, you regularly link to your mailing list. Encouraging people from every platform to subscribe is so important. That way, no matter what happens, you’ll never lose access to your current and prospective customers!
A note on wider changes on social media
Before I go, I think it’s important to touch on the more general shift we’ve seen in terms of social media lately. Rather than just app-specific changes to upload processes, content layout or preferred formats, this is more to do with the overall performance of social media content.
In years gone by, sharing links to your website or blog on social media was a great way of expanding your organic reach. It was something every good marketing strategy included. More recently, however, we’ve seen a noticeable shift. Many social media platforms are limiting reach on posts with external links, meaning your content is being seen by fewer and fewer people.
Their aim is to keep users on their sites for as long as possible. So, naturally, any post that directs traffic away from Facebook, LinkedIn or any other social platform, isn’t favoured. Given the fact that many business owners have relied on this source of traffic for years, it’s understandable that people are feeling disillusioned with the platforms in general.
If you’ve noticed a dip in your content performance recently, know you’re not alone. Work arounds, such as directing people to the comments on your post and sharing a link there are worth a shot, but it seems this is slowly but surely being cracked down on too.
So what should you do? Right now, as per the previous points in this post, my advice would be to carry on with your regularly scheduled content but not go above and beyond trying to reinvent the wheel. Don’t abandon those accounts you’ve spent so long building, just know that you cannot rely on social media alone these days. As we discussed before, the best thing you can do is put time and effort into your own platforms and offline marketing strategies!
KEEP READING
If you are interested in reading more about this topic, have a look at these:
4 Types of Social Media Content You Should Focus On
Tailoring Social Media Content to your Chosen Platforms
How to Avoid Social Media Overwhelm as a Small Business Owner
Social Media Timing – An Alternative Guide for Small Businesses
