Why you shouldn’t have Social Media links in your website header
I will here give you a marketing strategy of how to put your website in focus of your marketing and why you shouldn’t have Social Media links in your website header and where to place your social media links instead.
No place knows everything about your business as your website. It’s one of your most powerful marketing tools and should be optimized for having your site visitors explore your business and then inquire.
This is done with strategy and by removing distractions, and social media links are distracting.
One important question about your website
I’m sure you have added them to your header and all around your website because you want to grow your social media following. I get it, but what if I start to ask you one question.
-Why do you want people to visit your website?
Is it because you want them to book a photo session? Or because you want them to follow you on Instagram?
I’m aware that one thing doesn’t exclude another, but when someone visits your website, the goal should be to have them inquire with you. If bookings happen via other channels, it’s fine. But when they are on your website, your end goal for them should always be to have them contact you, nothing else.
A psychological difference
When we are on social media, we scroll and scroll. The information you provide here needs to be short. No one has the patience to stop and go deeper into something.
Even if we have a very short period of time (we are talking a few seconds here) to get people’s attention when they land on our websites. It’s much more likely that they slow down a bit and are more resilient when they are on a website contra social media. Simply because we have already been programmed that when we are on social media, our brains want instant entertainment. If we don’t get that, we scroll.
Another aspect is that nothing else distracts them when they are on your website.
Unless you have social media links that click them away from your website.
Social Media links in the header is a distraction
It’s very unnecessary to send people back into the never-ending scroll when they finally have made their way to your website.
Please note that I don’t say you shouldn’t have any links to your social media accounts at all on your website. You only need to be more strategic with where you place them.
The menu is a big no-no as this is one of the first places they pay attention to when visiting your website. Sending them away before they even have a chance to see what you offer is not so clever.
A better place is to have them in the footer. The chance is that they have had time to learn more about you and your business before clicking any links.
Your website is the center
Depending on your business model, a good marketing strategy is using your social media platforms to drive traffic to your website, rather than trying to book them via DMs.
Use social media to let people come to your website to download a freebie or to read a blog post. And once they are there, you catch them up, having them read and see more about your business than they can on your social media accounts.
This strategy is often more effective because, as I mentioned earlier in this post, we are more open to receiving information when we are on a website instead of visiting someone’s social media profile.
The information you have on your website is also considered more reliable. As we once again have been programmed to consume content in a specific way on social media, it’s always done with some expertise. Also, as the messages tend to be shorter, the information you have on your website is more powerful.
Social media links on your website are not bad
In fact, you should have links to your social media accounts on your website. Your social media accounts, with all their content, help make you an authority in your area. And it’s also a way for them to get to know you better before hiring you.
Not everyone is ready to book with you. For those who are not, serve them with great content and information so that you will be their number-one choice the day they are ready to work with you.
See your social media accounts as a compliment to your website. Use the information you have on your website to create valuable content for your social media accounts, and let them come to your site to learn more.
Why you shouldn’t have Social Media links in your website header
You should not have the links in your website header or other places that are seen and used frequently on your website because you don’t want to give them any chance to leave your website.
Better places for those links are the footer, or on your blog pages.
You should consider them as “get to know me a bit more” links after they have taken part in the essential information about you and your business.
This is also a very easy strategy to apply.
Use the content and information you already have on your website and create social media posts of it, with the goal of having them visit your website. When your purpose is clear, it’s also much easier to know what to post on social media.
At the same time, you have a streamlined strategy for your potential clients. Instead of just trying to have them do everything at once.
If you need more help with the strategy and functionality of your website. Download the Free Website Audit Guide I have created.
It’s a checklist that will help you ensure that each page of your website includes the most important things.
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