About 10 years ago, I was a freelance Social Media Manager. Just days before a major conference, disaster struck in a client account. Their Instagram account, with over 30,000 followers, was shut down, and we couldn’t get it back. Thankfully, Twitter was still the main platform for this brand, where event attendees would go for their updates and information. As chaotic as the experience was, it taught me the most valuable lesson in social media. You don’t own your account, community or content. The platforms do. Facebook, Instagram and TikTok let you use their platforms for free, but they can take away your access at any time, without explanation or recourse. It’s the number one reason why future-proofing against potential platform shutdowns is an extremely important part of social media strategy.
Let’s use the example of TikTok going dark for 12 hours in the U.S. The outage sent creators into a frenzy. If you haven’t seen the reactions, go back and check. They were intense and wild, from full-on meltdowns to large influencers admitting to lying about their recommended products or daily routines. The incident reinforced a crucial truth: your connection with your audience must go beyond any one platform.
Social media is an amazing tool for building awareness, sparking conversations, and creating positive feelings about your brand. But if won’t transform your business on its own. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions about social media.
Instead, think of social media as the first step in a bigger digital strategy:
Generate Awareness: Use social media to introduce your brand and grab attention.
Encourage Consideration: Keep people engaged with great content that makes them want to learn more.
Drive Conversion: Finally, turn their interest into action. Whether that’s visiting your website, following your account or subscribing to your mailing list.
Social media opens the door, but if you want to keep your audience engaged, you need a more direct and reliable method of communication. The easiest way to create that connection is through getting the user to subscribe to a mailing list.
Your email list is your direct line to your audience. Unlike social media, you own it. No algorithm changes, account bans, or platform shutdowns can take it away from you.
Getting your audience to subscribe to your email list is the next critical step. That way, even if TikTok disappears or your account gets suspended, you can still reach out and say:
“Here’s where to find us now.”
“Check out this exciting new product launch.”
“We’re still here for you.”
Not only does this safeguard your community, but it also opens up new possibilities for marketing campaigns and growth.
If you don’t have an email list yet, now’s the time to start. Social media is just step one. Email is step two. Need help choosing the right tools? We’re here to help.
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