Welcome

No. No. Just NO.

I popped on the Insta a few weeks back and was immediately served up a reel by a “business coach” who listed out a whole bunch of reasons why it’s SO EASY!!! To make money as a coach. One of which was: “You don’t need a website. Social Media is the new website.” 

Note: I am putting business coach in quotes because one of her other tenents was: “If you don’t know what to coach on, just see what other people are doing and do that too”. Ummmm…coaching others is a skill. A calling. You don’t do this work because it’s “easy”, you do it because it’s fulfilling and also pushes you to grow along with your clients. And also, copying someone else’s business is never OK. WTF.

Social Media is NOT the “New Website”. It’s Social Media. 

Want to be an influencer? Social media is great for that. 

Want to do affiliate marketing? Social media is great for that. 

Want to be a content creator and get paid sponsorships? Social media is great for that. 

Want to chain yourself to a platform and run the risk of losing your audience because someone hacked your account/it got randomly shut down/the new owner of your chosen social media platform ran it into the ground? Social Media is great for that! 

Here’s the truth: Social media is a tool. It’s a way to market your services and products. That’s it. 

Your Castle, Their Land. 

Building your business strictly on a social media platform means you are building your castle on someone else’s land. 

As such, you are subject to having to deal with their “land ownership” rules.

Those much maligned algorithm changes content creators are always complaining about? You will have to account for them in your business strategy and be ready to stop and pivot when short form is suddenly ‘out’ or ‘back in!’. 

People get tired of the site you use or some new app suddenly skyrockets in popularity? You’ll have to potentially migrate, learn a new way of creating content, etc. 

And if you’re someone who values long form content, deeper conversations, and a more soul-led approach, trying to fit yourself into a social media box can feel exhausting to the point you reconsider being in business at all.

Get Thee A Website 

Want to have a business that’s sustainable? That outlasts internet trends? One that clients can discover whilst you’re flying to visit family, out gardening, or yelling at your cat to get off the kitchen counters? One that doesn’t require you to be constantly posting, checking, changing, forcing? 

Get yourself a website and build your castle on your own damn land. 

You can always repurpose content like blogs or podcasts onto social media sites if you like, but a website allows for much more sustainable, organic growth over the long-term.

Not to mention, your ideal clients might be in your own backyard (even if you’re an online business owner there’s a good chance there are some clients who would prefer to work with someone local). 

Sites like SquareSpace and ShowIt have templates that range from free and super simple to customize to more editorial and bold aesthetics with multiple pages, etc. (Need help with your branding? I got you! Click here.) 

Energetic Considerations

If you are a highly sensitive person, empath, neurodivergent badass, Human Design Projector/Manifestor/Reflector, have a 1, 2, or 5 in your HD profile, have a lot of Scorpio, Aquarius, 8th or 12th house placements, (or none of these but would rather sell a kidney than post your daily routine for random public consumption), a website is especially good for you.

These energies are much more compatible with deeper content, being “found” by people who are self-aware enough to know they need help, and being more magnetic when you’re leaving a little something-something (like your personal life) to the imagination. 

Not everyone is here to be seen as a “personal brand”. Not everyone is wired for the frantic pace and almost obligatory ADHD that comes with using social media. 

But most importantly, not everyone buys from social media. 

Your Ideal Clients Might Be Social Media Free

Do not underestimate this one. 

When I hired a career coach several years back? I headed over to Ye Ole Google and found one in the city next to me (she was online and we did calls but it was nice knowing that she understood the area and the jobs available, had connections, etc). 

People looking to invest multi-four or five figures in their growth and development (or that of their business’) may feel more at ease with someone who has a website because it can signal that the owner behind it wants to build a stable business rather than a flashy influencer-esue social media brand. 

A website can connote a level of seriousness and credibility that social media can back-up, but not replace. 

In Conclusion

Social media is not the be-all, end-all for businesses. And for some, it could even hinder your business growth by sucking up your energy and time in ways that bleeds your soul dry. 

Do not fall prey to the bad business advice that you do not need a website. 

They are simpler than ever to customize and inexpensive. 

Give your business its own castle on its own land. 

Elena