The social media business model is brilliant.
They give users a constant stream of self-curated content for free.
And unlike Netflix, cable TV, and radio, the social media company doesn’t have to pay its content creators.
Content creators only get a small percentage of ad revenue, and that’s only if they’ve amassed enough of a following to qualify for a payout.
Many of their ✌️employees✌️ are unpaid, and the ones they do pay only get a percentage of ad revenue – nothing guaranteed (if you’re not a salaried employee, of course.)
In return, they get a never-ending deluge of the most valuable commodity1 in the world: data.
Truly brilliant.
But what happens to your presence when that platform changes its policies, loses popularity, or worse, goes under?
The Great Vulnerability of digital content creators lies in this reliance on platforms over which they have no control.
It’s like building your dream home on someone else’s property.
The reality is, social media platforms can be as fickle as the weather. One moment, they’re in full bloom, and the next, they fade away.
Remember OG TikTok Vine?
How about our old friend Tom and MySpace?
They were once giants in their field, and now they’re digital ghost towns.
How do you stay relevant if you’ve built your entire audience on one of those platforms and it shuts down?
How do you showcase your audience and your body of work? It’s all gone.
On top of this, platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have rules and regulations that can change at a moment’s notice. You may wake up one day to find that you’ve been shadowbanned or, worse, kicked off the platform due to a sudden policy change.
Your digital existence, and the audience you’ve built, can be wiped out like a wave hitting a sandcastle.
But there’s a life raft in this sea of uncertainty, and it comes in the form of leveraging your authority to move your most die-hard followers to a platform you have control over.
In practical terms, that means collecting your followers’ email addresses and names so that you can communicate directly with them.
Doing so creates a space you control – like a website – where your audience can always find you.
In essence, it’s about moving from being a renter to a homeowner in the digital world.
As a renter, you’re subject to the landlord’s rules. They can raise the rent, change the rules, or even evict you.
But as a homeowner, you call the shots. You decide how to communicate with your audience, and on what terms.
The beauty of this approach is that it gives you control and deepens your relationship with your audience.
You’re no longer just a face on a social media platform; you’re an independent entity they can engage with on a more personal level.
Social media platforms will come and go, but your audience doesn’t have to.
By embracing your authority in ways that don’t make it look like you sold out – like using our Rapid Trust Funnel – you can protect yourself from The Great Vulnerability and establish a more secure, sustainable digital presence.
Because the only way to truly protect yourself from The Great Vulnerability is to create digital autonomy.
Elia uses his 14+ years in direct B2C marketing for digital content creators and publishers to create unique interactive marketing solutions to increase conversion rates and revenue. Learn more from Elia by following @SimplyPibble on your favorite social media platform, or schedule a call with Elia.
1 The World’s Most Valuable Resource is No Longer Oil But Data [The Economist]