A company with a LinkedIn or Facebook page is quite normal nowadays. We sometimes communicate with the customer service of telecom operators and energy suppliers using Twitter. And Instagram is gaining popularity because businesses are able to offer their products as if it were an online store. Businesses are also starting to find their way to Snapchat, TikTok, etc.
Any channel is fair game to reach a certain group of consumers or to achieve a commercial goal. But having your own website is still essential.
Their platform, their rules
If you rely exclusively on Facebook (or any other social medium) for your business' online presence, it's like building a house on land you are renting from someone you barely know and is not very accessible. Not really a good idea in other words.
True, Facebook has been around a long time and won't just vanish from one day to the next. But Facebook is able to change the rules of the game at any time, manage your content (and delete it), block your page, etc. Nothing is stopping Facebook from adapting its algorithm tomorrow and preventing your carefully built business page from appearing in people's timeline. Or to make business pages paying. In other words, you are completely subject to Facebook's whims.
Manage your own content
A Facebook page or any other social media account in addition to your website to reach a wider audience or just to lure people to your website is an excellent idea of course. On your website you can easily refer to your Facebook page, Instagram, Snapchat and any other social networks. But your website is most important.
Your website must be the central point where you share your contact details and opening hours, where you offer and explain your services or products, where you show pictures of achievements, share your expertise in blog posts, etc. This is the only place where you have full control over your content, what you share and what it looks like. This is too important for your business to leave to another party.
And making your own website is a piece of cake nowadays. Many companies offer simple content management systems. You choose a theme, you create a few pages and almost playfully drag and drop blocks of content for text, images, buttons, forms, etc. to your page. You will have built a website in a couple of hours, without needing any technical knowledge.
If you want to be sure your business page and the posts you share are noticed, you will have to pay.
No pay, no gain
For the sake of clarity: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. are amazing media. Simply because everyone is on them and in principle you can also reach everyone. The only problem is that it is getting harder. Facebook and others are, after all, commercial companies that want to make a profit, preferably a huge profit.
In recent years, it has become very clear that Facebook and consorts are putting a lot of effort into paid advertisements and sponsored posts. If you want to be sure your business page and the posts you share are noticed, you will have to pay. The generic (unpaid) reach is quite limited.
Important, but not the most important
Facebook and other social media platforms are essential components of your digital strategy, but they should not be your primary focus. They are a tool to reach or expand your target audience, but not the spearhead of your digital strategy. Your website should be.
You already have a Facebook page but not a website? Check whether your domain name is still available.
With this article, we support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.