As a web designer, there’s something I tell business owners all the time: Social media is a great marketing tool. But it should never be your entire online presence.
I understand why that’s a hard sell sometimes… I talk with business owners who tell me, “I get almost all of my clients from Facebook,” or “I don’t need a website because everyone finds me on Instagram.”
And when social media is working, it can certainly feel that way. But there’s one important problem:
You don’t own Facebook. You don’t own Instagram. And you don’t control what happens to your account.
Recently, one of my clients experienced this firsthand.
Meet Luxe Longevity
I’ve had the opportunity to work with Sherry, owner of Luxe Longevity, on developing and improving her website and online presence.
Sherry has spent more than 18 years working in critical care. Several years ago, what started as an interest in learning Botox and fillers unexpectedly led her into hormone education.
She found something she hadn’t even realized she was looking for: her purpose.
Her passion quickly grew beyond aesthetics into women’s hormones, metabolic health, comprehensive lab testing, healthy aging and longevity. Eventually, an opportunity arose for Sherry to start her own business. She connected with Allison, a nurse practitioner whose interests complemented her own, and Luxe Longevity began to grow.
In approximately two years, Sherry has built a practice caring for nearly 300 patients!
It’s an incredible small-business success story. And, like many small-business owners, social media became an important way for her to communicate with her community.
Until suddenly, it wasn’t there anymore.
What Would Happen If Your Social Media Disappeared Tomorrow?
Sherry’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were unexpectedly disabled.
Not just her Luxe Longevity business presence… Her personal accounts were affected as well, including a Facebook account she had maintained since 2007.
She appealed. She submitted identification. She tried to regain access.
But her ability to communicate with the audience she had spent years building was suddenly outside of her control.
Imagine waking up tomorrow and discovering that the primary way you market your business is simply gone.
Your followers.
Your posts.
Your photos.
Your messages.
Your years of building an audience.
This is exactly why I encourage my clients to think differently about their digital presence.
Social Media Is Rented Space
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other social platforms can be valuable marketing tools. I’m certainly not suggesting businesses stop using them.
But I encourage business owners to think of social media as rented space.
You’re building your business on someone else’s platform.
The platform controls the rules.
Algorithms change.
Reach changes.
Accounts can be restricted or disabled.
Platforms themselves can fall in and out of popularity.
Your website is different.
Your website is your digital home.
It’s where you control your branding, your message, your services and the experience you create for potential clients.
Social media should help bring people to that home – not replace it.
Here’s the Interesting Part of Sherry’s Story
Thankfully, Luxe Longevity already had a website. And we had already been working on improving its SEO – search engine optimization – so people could find Luxe Longevity through Google.
When we recently reviewed the website data together, many visitors were searching specifically for Sherry or Luxe Longevity by name.
But we were also beginning to see something exciting:
People who didn’t already know her were finding the business through searches related to longevity clinics and medspas.
And Sherry had noticed something herself. She was getting more new clients.
That meant we already had another pathway working when social media unexpectedly disappeared.
Instead of starting from zero, we could ask: How do we build on this?
Ensure her Website Is More Than an Online Brochure
This is where Sherry’s story gets even more exciting.
We’re now working toward making Luxe Longevity’s website the central hub of her online presence.
One of our next steps is developing an educational blog. And Sherry has quite a story to tell.
After nearly two decades of caring for critically ill patients, her passion has shifted toward helping people become more engaged in their health earlier – before they’re lying in an ICU bed! She loves educating patients about women’s hormones, menopause, metabolic health, lab testing, nutrition, weight management, aesthetics and longevity.
Instead of limiting all of that knowledge to a disappearing social media post, we’re going to give it a permanent home.
A helpful article on a website can continue to be found through search long after the day it’s published.
One article can lead someone to another.
That person can learn about Sherry.
They can understand her philosophy.
They can explore Luxe Longevity’s services.
And when they’re ready, they can take the next step.
That’s what a thoughtfully designed website can do.
The Next Piece: Building an Audience You Can Reach
We’re also working on another important piece of the puzzle: email.
Instead of relying solely on a social media algorithm to decide who sees an update, Luxe Longevity can begin building its own subscriber list.
New educational article? Send it to subscribers.
New service? Let them know.
Monthly lab special? Share it.
Important clinic update? There’s a direct way to communicate it.
The website, blog, search visibility and email list can all work together.
Social media can still be part of that ecosystem – but it no longer has to hold the entire business together.
Ask Yourself This Question
If you’re a business owner who has been putting off creating a website because Facebook or Instagram is working well for you, I want you to ask yourself one question:
If your social media accounts disappeared tomorrow, how would your customers find you?
Would they find your business when they searched Google?
Would they find accurate information about your services?
Would they have a way to contact you?
Would you have another way to communicate with the people who want to hear from you?
If the answer is no, it may be time to build something you have more control over.
Your Website Should Work for Your Business
A good website shouldn’t simply exist so you can say you have one.
It should work.
It should help people discover you.
It should tell your story.
It should explain what you do.
It should establish trust.
And ultimately, it should make it easier for the right people to become your customers or clients.
That’s what we’re continuing to build with Luxe Longevity.
Sherry’s experience wasn’t something either of us would have chosen. But it became an important reminder of something I wish more small-business owners understood:
Build your audience on social media. But build your business on a foundation you control.
If you’ve been relying primarily on social media and you’re wondering what a stronger digital foundation could look like for your business, I’d love to help you create it.
Kari
Sky Progress Digital Schedule a Consultation
Client Spotlight: Luxe Longevity
Helping people live healthier, feel better and take a more proactive approach to aging.
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