You Don't Need Instagram to Build a Successful Business
Prefer to watch?
Here’s the video!
Rather read all about it?
Does one of these sound like you?
"I'm afraid to build my business on instagram because I know I don't own or control it."
"I honestly just don't want to be on instagram for my business because I value my life and mental well-being too much."
"But if I'm not on instagram, where will I get leads from?"
You're not alone.
I'm a business owner, and I quit social media a couple of years back. Yep, no more Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.
And guess what? My business has absolutely THRIVED, making millions since I quit. 💰
Now, you might think that's entrepreneurial suicide, but hold on. I'm here to show you how it can be done. There are SO many ways to get leads that are less life-impacting, less time-consuming, and offer a better ROI.
The Drawbacks of Social Media:
Truth alert: social media is just one of many marketing strategies.
Sure, it has a certain allure—big numbers, public visibility, and the thrill of going viral. But the downsides are significant:
Social media posts have absurdly short lifespans.
Instagram posts: 21-48 hours
Instagram Stories: Max 24 hours
TikTok: Only a few minutes 😵
Twitter: 15-20 minutes
All that work for so little return makes you question if you're just a pawn in someone else's game. 🎭
2. You don’t own or control these platforms.
Reality check: Organic reach IS declining.
Social Insider reports that in 2023, Instagram's average reach was 9.3%. In 2024, it's down to 7.6%.
This means only 7% of your followers are seeing your posts unless you pay the platform.
3. The mental health consequences are serious.
The negative impact of social media on mental health is well-documented. For me, the constant need to check and compare was draining.
I shared my feelings in my Instagram breakup post two years ago, realizing that being on the app made me feel awful.
So, What Happens to Your Business Without Social?
Well, here's what happened to mine:
I grew my email list by 8,000 subscribers. 🎉
I Increased revenue by $400,000 last year. 💸
I hired 2 new team members. 👩💻 👩💻
And all this without running a single ad!
So what was my secret?
It’s absolutely KEY to have other marketing strategies in place before you officially wave goodbye to social media.
So, let's explore some alternatives so that you can start implementing them today.
12 Alternative Marketing Strategies:
Referral/Affiliate Programs
Email Marketing 📧
Collaborations with Complementary Businesses 🤝
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Content Marketing (Blogging, Podcasting, YouTubing) 🎙️
Speaking Engagements at Conferences & Meetups
Google My Business Listing Optimization
Online Directories and Review Sites
PR (Public Relations)
Guesting on Other Podcasts
Ads
Networking Events and Local Meetups
And the list goes on! Depending on your business type, here are some specific strategies:
Strategies for Local Businesses
Okay, as an example let’s say you are a photographer. Here are some alternative marketing strategies you could take to get away from social media:
Partner with event planners and venues
Exhibit at bridal shows or local art fairs
Publish work in magazines or photography books
Flyers and posters in local establishments
Collaborate with local influencers
Strategies for Online Businesses
YA’LL KNOW I CAN’T FORGET MY WEB DESIGNERS!
LET’S SAY THAT’S YOUR FIELD (OR ANY OTHER ONLINE BUSINESS FOR THAT MATTER). YOU COULD LOOK INTO THE FOLLOWING:
Guest blogging on tech or business platforms
Create white papers or case studies on successful projects
Sponsor tech events or conferences
Cold pitching potential clients
How to Choose the Right Strategy for You:
Consider these factors when choosing your marketing strategy…
Time vs. Money: Some strategies require time, some require money, and some require both.
Building vs.Borrowing an Audience:
It’s important to ask yourself whether you are building or borrowing an audience.
Building: One example of this would be creating your own podcast and slowly growing your audience through it over time. It’s definitely much slower than borrowing but you have your own audience who you can get in touch with as much as you like.
Borrowing: the equivalent in this example wold be guesting on established podcasts to quickly reach a large audience. So the audience already exists, the host has the audience and you simply get in front of them as a guest. the upside is you get in front of a lot of new people FAST. The downside is, you don’t have access to them all the time.
Scale:
Marketing strategies have different scales:
Small Scale: One-on-one networking or local events. You’re more likely to convert these people because you build a lot of “know, like and trust” factor with them - but it’s on a very small scale.
Mid Scale: In-person speaking engagements fall under this category. Perhaps this involves speaking on stage in front of 50 to 500 people.
Mass Scale: Ads fall under this category. With the click of one button, you can potentially reach hundreds of thousands of people.
If you're selling digital products, you'll want to focus on scalable options. For a detailed guide, check out my handy Google Sheet which explains all these options and matches them to different types of businesses. 👇
What’s the Best Marketing Strategy?
This depends on you and your business but MY personal favorite is email marketing.
WHY?
It's inexpensive.
It’S effective at building trust.
It scales well.
It has a long lifespan.
I’ve never heard of ANYONE getting anxiety from it! 😂
Want to Learn More?
Join me for my 90-minute masterclass:
How To Build An Email List of Buyers (Without Spending A Second on Social or a Cent on Ads)
It's happening on July 10th and it's LIVE!
If you're dreaming of getting into the digital product game but need a scalable, stress-free marketing strategy, this is for you. Click below to register, and I can't wait to see you there!
