Meta Problems
I've always used Instagram to promote my DJ hobby stuff. I know it is owned by (and integrated with) Facebook, which I actively dislike, but I always viewed IG as “Evil Adjacent” rather than “Pure Evil”. But at some point along the way, FB has now “streamlined” some things between the two platforms. The result is that if you want to use a scheduling app (like Buffer or Later) to queue your IG posts ahead of time, you need an IG Business Account that must be connected to a Facebook Page. You can't just have an IG Creator account anymore, you must also have an FB account.
So where does this leave folks who have no desire to be on Facebook?
Answer: “no post scheduling for you”. And I know, if you are a casual user this is no big deal. If you are a content creator who has limited time to try and maintain a social media presence (which I am super bad at even with a scheduler), then this is a massive blocker. FB wants you all the way in.
Many folks have thrown in the towel and grudgingly set up their Facebook account. I get it. The fear that creators feel is that they will not be discovered and appreciated if they aren't where the eyeballs are. And yes, many of their livelihoods depend on it. But I am increasingly becoming convinced that the big social media platforms always take more than they give.
My DJ teacher wisely observed the the best way to gain a following is to start a mailing list. Plenty of services out there will help you manage your mailing lists, but the beauty of email is that you can always take that list with you. No matter what happens to the platforms you use, the mailing list is yours. I think about that a lot these days, and in the meantime, I've been slowly reducing my footprint on Meta.
“But I'm sure going to miss all of the ads...” — Nobody, Ever.