We were warned for months that this was going to happen, and we all kinda knew in the back of our head that it couldn’t possibly happen. But then TikTok was just gone. A social media network that was once thought to big to make go away had done the impossible. And then it reappeared, just as magically.
So many of us felt played with and like we can no longer trust these networks to be around. It’s all a game to the heads of these social media networks. But to some of us, it’s our livelihood.
While there’s no way to stop them from playing with us, there are ways to make sure that it’s not that big of a deal when things like this happens. Any of these networks can go away at any second. So how do you effectively use a social media network while also protecting yourself in case it goes away? Let’s talk about it.
Spread the love around
The first thing you can do is make sure you’re not reliant on just one network. Create communities and build content on multiple networks.
And while doing this, keep in mind that Meta owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads. So it would be wise to build on a non-Meta site. There is just too good of a chance that if one of the Meta sites goes down, all of them will follow soon.
What social media network should you pick? That’s really dependent on your goals and your audience. And there are a few other factors in there as well. I wouldn’t be able to tell you the best network to be on without fully getting into your social media program. If I were you, I would look at all of the factors and whether your audience is on a certain network. If they are, it might be worth a try. Never be afraid of experimenting.
Own your content
We have been living in a spray and pray world for too long. Some brands have done this very strategically and have been able to turn those fans into customers. But most brands are not. They’re throwing spaghetti at the wall constantly. It’s tiring and not effective.
It’s time to go back and look at your website. Does it have any of this fun content you’ve been producing? Or is it static and limping long? Keeping it alive and the center of your social media strategy will make it more likely that you can ride out any social media network dying. On top of all that, your content won’t go away unless your website goes away. You have complete control here, which is the best situation to be in.
Own your audience
I follow an influencer who made me cheer recently. During a Q&A, she was asked if she was worried about TikTok going away. Her response was, “Why would I be? I have been busy building my email list.” YAS QUEEN!
If you don’t have an email list yet, start working on it today. Although you will be fighting through a lot to get into that inbox, it will be worth it to have that one-on-one communication channel with your audience. And keeping that audience engaged and getting rid of those who are not will help you consistently reach them.
And be sure you are segmenting them as well. Maybe a member of your audience doesn’t care about your organization as a whole, but they really, really care about one aspect of your organization. You might lose them if you only have a general list. But if you only supply them information on that one aspect, you’re more likely to keep them.
Be worth finding again
As we entered the “end” of TikTok, lots of brands posted that you should find them on a different channel. Let’s be honest: Most of those brands would not have anyone finding them on another channel. It takes work to look an organization up on a different channel and follow them. And most brands haven’t earned that work from their audiences.
How do you earn it? By being super responsive to their needs. By making them feel seen. Basically by making real relationships with them.
If you still see the point of social media as being a place to push information at your audience and not a place to create real relationships with them, then you will keep losing them any time a major shift happens on social media networks. Give them more of what they need and want, and you will earn the right to do a little pushing at them. And eventually, your social media strategy should be somewhere in the middle. Get to far to either side and the whole program goes out the window.
In the end, you have to have all of your bases covered and make sure the majority of your audience is directly connected with you (for most, that means on your enewsletter). Do not rely heavily on a social media network to do the lifting for you. They will let you down in the end.
How are you preparing in case a social media network fails?