Decentering meta and the social media monopoly

Relying too heavily on Meta (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) for marketing can be risky.
However the same can be said about any of the current available options. They do for the most part come with similar pro’s and con’s. You’re at the mercy of the algorithm, which can change the reach of your posts without warning, making organic growth harder to achieve and maintain.

Additionally, the pay-to-play model can get expensive, especially for small businesses, turning visibility into a costly investment rather than a long-term strategy.  Account suspensions or restrictions can happen suddenly, leading to a loss of revenue and customers. Perhaps most importantly, you don't actually own your audience—if your Meta account is suspended or deleted, you lose access to your followers altogether.

It’s crucial in my opinion (today more than ever) to diversify your marketing channels to ensure sustainable and ethical growth.

How to Diversify Your Marketing Strategy
If Meta isn’t the only way, what is? The key is to spread your marketing efforts across different platforms and strategies so your business remains stable no matter what happens to one channel. Here’s where to start:

1. Build an Email List (Your #1 Asset)
Unlike social media, you own your email list. No algorithm controls who sees your messages. Start collecting emails through networking and lead magnets (free resources, discounts, exclusive content) and nurture those relationships directly.
2. Strengthen Your Website & SEO
Your website should be your business’s home base. Focus on creating valuable blog content, optimising for search engines, and making it easy for people to contact you or buy from you without needing social media.
3. Explore Alternative Social Media Platforms
Meta isn’t the only game in town. Depending on your industry, consider:

• LinkedIn (great for B2B businesses, networking, and authority-building)
• Pinterest (excellent for long-term content visibility, especially for product-based businesses)
• TikTok (huge engagement potential and discoverability)
• YouTube (video content is king, and YouTube’s searchability is unmatched)

4. Invest in Community Building
Consider creating a space where your audience can connect outside of social media. This could be a private membership group, a Discord server, etc.
5. Don’t Ignore Offline Marketing
Not everything happens online! In-person networking, collaborations with local businesses, industry events, and word-of-mouth marketing are still powerful ways to grow your business.

Practical Next Steps to Start Today
You don’t need to quit Meta altogether, in fact, I don’t intend to quit it for my business use anytime soon. I say that as someone who until recently, was guilty of centring Meta in my marketing strategy a bit too much. However, I think that actually a more balanced approach is what is needed. 

Here’s what you can do right now to achieve long-term success:

✅ Start collecting email addresses if you haven’t already.
✅ Write a blog post for your website to strengthen your online presence.
✅ Choose one new marketing channel to explore this quarter. 
✅ Engage with your audience outside of Meta—join industry forums, attend an event, or start a newsletter.

​Meta platforms can be a valuable part of your marketing strategy, but they shouldn’t be your entire strategy. By diversifying where and how you connect with your audience, you create a more secure, sustainable business - one that won’t disappear the next time an algorithm changes.