These past few weeks, social media has been in turmoil because Instagram decided to implement, once again, changes to its algorithm and many are not very happy about this. It is true that human beings, by nature, have a certain resistance to changes, however, all this turmoil has made me reflect on what it really means to have a digital business and I wanted to share my conclusions with you.
So this post is about some thoughts I’ve been having about our ventures and some truths we need to know and accept if we want to scale our businesses.
4 Truths about having a digital business that we don't want, but that we must accept
These days, and after the Instagram algorithm changes, I have seen three types of entrepreneurs: those who don't care about the changes and adapt to them without complaining, those who entered into a crisis without knowing how to assimilate the new changes, and those who said no more.
I belong to the third group. I've said it before, social media overwhelms me because I feel like it takes up a lot of the time I need to run my business. I know that, although it is a valuable tool, my business does not depend on it. However, some of my entrepreneurial friends and even some of my clients have been a little anxious about what to do and so I've asked myself some questions:
Myths and truths about a digital business
Why do we think that our business is limited to having a presence on a social network?
Are we aware that our greatest resource is time and that we should invest it in what gives us the greatest return?
Is it really worth the anxiety and stress to build a following?
I think it's time we talk about some truths that many of us already know but haven't fully understood and that may be a little uncomfortable and difficult for others but that we need to accept.
Pinterest Checklist for Content Creators
Learn how to repurpose your dead social media content and give it a long life on Pinterest
Download the guide NOW!
PINTEREST MANAGER GUIDE
Name
You can unsubscribe at any time. For more details, please review our Privacy Policy.
“Stay informed and get the latest news and updates by subscribing.”
Having a social media profile is not having a digital business
I think this idea comes from the era of influencers job seekers database who managed to monetize their presence on social media. However, this way of generating money is no longer as effective because people are looking for a community to belong to rather than someone to follow.
Of course there are success stories, brands that sell through their Instagram or WhatsApp accounts, for example. However, this business model has a limit and is not very sustainable over time.
Having a digital business is more than just having an Instagram or account. In fact, it's easy to forget that our profile on any social network is not ours, it doesn't belong to us. Putting all our focus and effort into growing a space that isn't ours is a bit risky, don't you think?
Social media is a medium, another tool to boost our digital business , but many times we believe that it is the goal we must reach to have a profitable and stable business. Many times we don't even know if we are using the right social network where our ideal client is. So this is the first reflection I share with you: remember that your digital business is much more than having a profile on social networks.
Having thousands of followers is NOT the same as having thousands of clients
We have been sold the idea that to have a profitable business you have to have thousands of followers. The obsession with followers is so great that I have often heard people say , “It won’t be that good because it doesn’t have thousands of followers.”
It's true that we all like to see the number of followers on our social networks grow, right? It's a number that undoubtedly feeds our ego and makes our brain release all those substances that put us in a good mood. Unfortunately, we have to say it out loud: Not all followers will be our clients. In fact, many of the clients who come to us through social networks were not following you before.
The average conversion rate on social media is just 1% to 2%, a percentage but to achieve it and even to achieve it you need to work with strategy.
Most of our followers like to consume our free content and stay at the top of the funnel. This is a truth that, even if we don't want to, we must be clear about in order to design a marketing strategy that includes other communication channels and an optimized sales funnel that achieves effective conversions.
Having thousands of followers does not equal thousands of clients, nor does it determine my level of expertise
Ada Ramirez
Tweet
Using trendy audios or dances is NOT having marketing strategies
Admit it, you've also spent time looking for the trendy audio or at least debating whether or not you dare to do the trendy dance.
Following trends is not bad, however if they do not help you achieve your goals, they are not what you do best and you find it difficult, instead of helping your strategy, it ends up being a conflict that will not give you greater benefits.
Trends are great and I always recommend taking advantage of them, but we don't always need to do the same thing that everyone else is doing. Finding what makes us different and showing our authenticity is more effective because it will connect better with your audience. Let's use trends intelligently so that they boost our ventures and don't end up being an obstacle, consuming valuable time without giving results