Social media influencers are used to promoting their brand and engaging with fans on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Many feel that using the free pages and accounts on these platforms is sufficient for running a successful business. But that’s not the case. Having a website can be just as important to social media influencers as their social media accounts. Here are 5 reasons why:

1. A website gives you full control over your online presence.

Ever have a social media account locked or suspended? How about having the platform change its algorithm resulting in less exposure for you? Or how about someone hacking your account and deleting all of your content? If you ever need a social media account restored, then good luck. Most platforms don’t provide support and even if you reach someone, your chances of getting your account restored are close to zero.

On the flip side, you can back up most websites (all of our hosting plans include nightly backups that are each stored for 30 days).
Aside from that, you get to set your own rules on your own website. So you can post whatever you want. You don’t have to worry about your content getting flagged and you can delete any comments you don’t want there. You can even give others guest access to post content if you’d like.

2. You control monetization on your website.

Ever watch one of your own YouTube videos and cringe when you see the ad they put in the middle of your video? Or how about a sponsored post from a competing brand right above your latest promotional post? Social media platforms run ads so that they can make money. You just do all of the heavy lifting by getting people to use their service. On your own website, you control which ad networks you use and which ads you run. If you’re an advocate for animal rights, you can exclude ads from companies that use animals for testing.

On top of that, you can run ads for your own products, services, subscriptions, and more on your website at no cost to you. Sure, you can open up a store on Amazon to sell products. But then you have to give them a cut.

When you sell on a social media platform, you’re limited to their payment processing options. You get to decide which forms of payment you want to accept when you have a website (we accept more than ten). And you get to choose your payment processor, which can cut your payment processing costs significantly.

Lastly, “no affiliate links” doesn’t apply when you have your own website. You can integrate affiliate links into your posts, pages, comments, and more.

3. A website gives you a place to show off all of your work.

As an influencer, you likely have a lot of great content to share with your fans. A website gives you a consolidated place to showcase all of your work, whether it’s photos, videos, or blog posts. This is a great way to show potential brands what you can do, and it can also help you attract new followers.

Additionally, you get to set restrictions on file size, video length, content, and everything else. Some web hosting plans give you unlimited space so you can post all of the 4K videos you want.

4. A website gives you a more professional appearance.

Having a website makes you look more professional and credible, which can help you attract better opportunities. Brands are more likely to work with influencers who have a website because it shows that you’re serious about your career. Influencers without a website, even if they have tens of thousands of followers, seem like they’re in the minor leagues if they only have their social media profiles.

You can put a full-length biography of yourself on your website. You’re not limited just to a couple of hundred characters. A website lets you tell your story to both your most recent followers and the fans that have been with you since the beginning.

Testimonials help with credibility. While you can put a few quotes in your cover photo on social media, you can create an entire page of testimonials on your website. You can even integrate your reviews from your Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, and other review management platforms.

5. A website helps you stand out from the crowd.

In a world where everyone is on social media, having a website can help you stand out from the crowd. There are millions of social media influencers out there but only a small percentage actually have a website. The ones that do are the big fish. The little fish rely on their free social media accounts.

A website also helps build your brand, which is very attractive to potential partners. While your social media accounts tell your story, it’s done in a scattered manner across multiple platforms. A website puts it all in one neat place.

Finally, you can put press kits, rate cards, and other materials on your website. Additionally, you can dedicate a page or section of your website to target potential partnerships. And if you really want to stand out from the crowd, we can build you your own social media platform that gives you full control of everything from members to groups. You get to decide who is on the platform, how much you want to charge them for being on the platform, and what content is allowed on the platform. Reach out to us for a complimentary consultation to learn more.

In Summary:

As an influencer, your social media accounts are critical to interact with your audience. But those platforms are only one piece of the puzzle. A website gives you more flexibility with content and monetization. It also provides you with tools that do everything from providing a restorable backup of your content to having your own social media platform that allows you full control of the platform. Most importantly, when you build your brand on social media, you’re essentially promoting those platforms. If you get suspended or your account gets hacked, you’re back to square one. So do yourself a favor and get yourself a website today if you don’t have one. If you want to learn how a social media influencer website can take your brand to the next level, then join us for a complimentary consultation. You’ve got this!