Hello. It’s me again, your friendly Broken Record. Please allow me to say this once more for those in the back—You should own and control the platforms where you share your knowledge or showcase your portfolio.
This message bears repeating today because the social media app TikTok recently took a (dare I say, brief) pause in the US. If you’ve relied solely on this platform to share your best work, it’s likely unavailable to potential customers right now. That’s a frustrating and nerve-wracking experience for any business owner or creative entrepreneur.
As I’ve said before, this issue won’t last forever. TikTok will be back, and your content will reappear. However, this is the perfect reminder of why social media platforms should not be the only place where you share your brilliance. Let me share some tips to help you avoid this anxiety in the future:
1. Understand That Social Media Is Rented Space
You don’t own social media platforms. You rent space on them. That means you don’t control the rules, algorithms, or even the visibility of your content. If a platform changes its policies, disappears, or takes a break, you lose access to the audience you worked hard to build. Your work should live on platforms that you own, such as your blog, your newsletter, or your podcast.
2. Use Social Media to Complement Owned Platforms
This doesn’t mean abandoning social media—far from it! Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest are great for driving traffic and engagement. But they should support, not replace, your owned platforms. Use social to amplify, complement, or tease the content you’ve already shared on your blog, podcast, or newsletter.
3. Create a Digital Backup Plan
Here’s a simple yet powerful strategy: always have a digital backup of your best work. Whether it’s a portfolio, a library of blog posts, or a podcast archive, make sure you have a repository of your work that lives offline or in the cloud. If social media ever goes dark temporarily (or permanently), you’ll have everything you need to pivot.
By owning your platforms and maintaining a strong digital backup strategy, you can ensure that your audience always has access to your expertise, no matter what happens in the social media world.
Remember, your knowledge and creativity are too valuable to be confined to rented spaces. Build your house on solid ground and let social media be the guest house—it’s lovely, but it’s not your foundation.
Love and Soul Always, Kawania
Photo: Shutterstock
