The short-lived ban on TikTok in the US should have reminded us of how risky solely marketing on social media can be. In this article, we highlight key risks and recommend options that can be explored to create a more robust marketing strategy.

 

Earlier this month, following appeals to the United States (US) Supreme Court, social media giant, TikTok, was directed to shut down U.S. operations by 19 January 2025. Though the shutdown was short-lived, numerous social media content creators and businesses that have social media at the core of their marketing and public relations strategy were left scrambling and trying to figure out how to recover from the major blow a ban on TikTok would be to their bottom line.

Without a doubt, social media has revolutionised marketing by offering businesses unprecedented access to global audiences. It has also spawned a cadre of social media influencers whose primary source of income is posting content online and leveraging the size of their followers or network to secure brand deals and collaborations. However, relying solely on social media as a primary marketing tool exposes companies to significant vulnerabilities, such as the TikTok ban or a prolonged outage, that can disrupt operations and damage brand reputation.

 

Key risks of depending solely on social media

Although it might seem that the temporary banning of TikTok was just an anomaly, there are several other risks, which can make businesses especially vulnerable if social media is their primary marketing tool.

First, social media platforms frequently change their algorithms, which can drastically affect the visibility of the content posted. A campaign that performed well today might yield subpar results tomorrow due to an update you cannot control. Further, platforms are increasingly expecting businesses to pay for advertising to increase the visibility of posts. Advertising has become the main revenue stream for social media platforms, and over time, it has become a carrot-and-stick situation, where businesses have to pay to even have more of their followers see their posts.

Also, as previously noted, businesses and users can be vulnerable to issues on social media platforms, such as outages, policy changes, or even platform shutdowns (as occurred with Vine and TikTok), which can instantly cut off your communication with your audience. It is also important to note that governments have banned social media platforms, which again can leave businesses and users exposed and with little recourse.

Further, although businesses and other content creators may spend time and resources to create and publish posts and other content, social media platforms may have perpetual rights to the material you have posted on their platforms. Additionally, in being the medium through which you connect with your audience, they own your audience data. As a result, you may not be able to directly engage with your customers outside the platform’s ecosystem, and neither would you fully have access to all of the intelligence available on your audience

 

Creating a more robust marketing strategy

To mitigate these risks, businesses ought to adopt a more diversified marketing strategy that does not rely solely on social media. Some options are outlined below for consideration:

  1. Email marketing, by building an email list to facilitate and ensure direct communication with your audience. Email marketing allows you to control your messaging and audience segmentation, which can deliver a high return on the organisation’s marketing investment.
  2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO), by optimising your website for search engines so that potential customers can find your business when searching for relevant products or services. SEO is also a sustainable way to generate leads.
  3. Content marketing, by investing in a blog, podcast, or video series on your website. This option positions your brand as a thought leader while improving SEO, driving organic traffic, and offering long-term value.
  4. Community engagement, by hosting events, sponsoring local activities, or participating in community initiatives. These efforts create personal connections and can boost brand loyalty.
  5. Traditional advertising, by leveragingprint, radio, and TV advertising, especially for local markets. These offline channels can be effective and can complement your online efforts to reach audiences who are less active on social media.
  6. Referral Programmes, by encouraging word-of-mouth marketing by incentivising your existing customers to refer new ones. This approach leverages your most loyal advocates to expand your reach.
  7. Public Relations, by developing relationships with journalists and media outlets to gain coverage for your brand. Regularly disseminating press releases, interviews, and feature stories can provide credibility and attract a wider audience.

 

Although social media is a powerful marketing tool, relying on it exclusively exposes your business to a broad range of risks. In diversifying your marketing strategy, you not only gain more control of your marketing efforts, but it also allows you to build a resilient and adaptable approach that safeguards your brand against unforeseen challenges, and to remain competitive and sustainable in an ever-changing digital landscape.

 

 

Images credit:  Freepik