It’s time to get your own website and stop relying on Pinterest and other sites to promote your business.
So this is a topic that is far too common. Maybe Pinterest is not your website. Perhaps you are relying on another platform. I have seen them all listed as a website. From Facebook, to Instagram, to LinkedIn, to Linktree, and even Canva, many people are taking the easy route and relying on these sites to promote their business. Now don’t get me wrong. These sites definitely have a place in business, and can be a great resource. But they are NOT your website. And there are a lot of reasons why relying on them to fill the role of website is not a good idea. Let me share a few with you…
Pinterest is not working to promote you, they are promoting Pinterest.
While having a business Pinterest page (or Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn etc.) is a great way to help support your business, they are not in business to promote you. They are in the business of promoting Pinterest. (again fill in any other social media site or resource in place of Pinterest.)
Sure you can create one of these pages for free, which is awesome. But the reason they give you a free platform to use is because it benefits them. They are providing a service that in turn is going support their bottom line as any self respecting business would do. This doesn’t make them bad, it makes them a smart savvy business. But again their goal is to promote themselves. Promoting you is only a bonus that can easily go away.
They can make changes whenever they want, without consulting you.
While Pinterest hasn’t changed much over the years, other platforms have. (ahem… Facebook) These changes come on their schedule without thought or concern of how it is going to throw off your day. And when the changes happen you have no choice but to accept them. It’s up to you to learn the new ways, and make them work around your business.
They can go away, or kick you out without notice.
They are offering a free platform for you to promote your business and because it’s free they do not have any commitment to keep it going. If Pinterest, Linktree, Facebook, Canva or any other platform out there decided to close up shop tomorrow, your page would go away and they wouldn’t care. They are closing shop after all and have bigger things to worry about!
And I agree, I doubt they will disappear any time soon, and not while they are so heavily used. But this doesn’t stop them from kicking you out. If they feel you are not living up the terms of use they have in place, they can shut you down and close your page. (Ever heard of Facebook jail?) And they are not obligated to bring your page back up. Which means all the hours invested into building your platform are gone with nothing to show for them.
Websites can be easy too…
I get it, getting a website can be overwhelming, expensive and time consuming. But it doesn’t have to be. Some of the most successful business in your industry often have simple websites. Especially when they were first starting off. There are great, affordable and easy options out there. You just need to know where to look. And if you need a little help looking why not give yourself 15 minutes and schedule a chat with me for free. I love helping entrepreneurs find the best way to support their businesses online.