Website vs Social Media: Which is Better? /
Today, most horse businesses find it necessary to use both a website and social media to grow their brand, however it’s useful to understand the different roles your website and social media play in the development of your equine brand, despite both being forms of digital marketing.
Whether your business is small or well-established, it is important to work out how best you can reach your audience and accomplish your marketing goals.
ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media platforms can provide your business with access to large audiences. Although social media’s original purpose was to network with friends, nowadays people use it as a source of information and inspiration. Your business could potentially reach a huge number of people and spread awareness of your brand, so long as you are posting quality content that is capturing the attention of your target audience.
Using social media is also free! Unless you’re using paid advertisement, sharing and publishing content does not incur cost to your business. However, time is a precious resource so do consider how much of your time social media management will require and whether you’ll need to outsource content.
Social platforms also allow you to establish a network with your customers and build a community feel, while providing faster and more personal methods of communication. Effective social media content should be relatable to your consumer and make them more likely to form a relationship with your brand.
DISADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA
More and more businesses are realising the power that social media can have for their businesses, so there is likely to be a great number of competing accounts, meaning you will have to think very carefully about the content you are sharing and how best to engage with followers and potential followers.
Another important note is that 14% of U.S. adults have never heard of Instagram; therefore you could be ignoring an important segment of your target market if you rely solely on social media!
ADVANTAGES OF WEBSITES
Websites help add perceived credibility and can legitimise your business. However, merely having a website for your business may not be enough to entice customers; 75% of consumers admit to making judgements on a business’ credibility based on their website design, so ensuring your website is easy to navigate and also pleasing to look at is essential.
This leads us on to another great advantage of websites: they are completely customisable. Every element, including buttons, colours and shapes can be aligned with your business’ unique branding, whereas social media platforms are more rigid and offer less customisation.
Another valuable benefit of having a website is that it is owned by you. As scary as it sounds, your social media platforms could be shut down, blocked or censored at any time. And when Instagram or Facebook crash, it can sometimes feel like your business is crashing too. However, when you have a website, it is your business that owns that platform.
DISADVANTAGES OF WEBSITES
Websites must be SEO optimised as it can be hard work generating website traffic. They also require regular maintenance as it is important to keep your customers updated and ensure all information and links are still correct.
The initial building of the website also takes a lot more effort and skill than building a social media account (which can be done in a matter of seconds!).
SO WHICH IS BETTER?
We’ll admit we find it difficult to decide which is better when both digital platforms have such extensive benefits to equestrian business, so therefore we recommend leveraging on the strengths of both platforms. They complement each other well and can be integrated with each other by having social media icons on your website, and a website link in your social media bio.
However, it is still important to consider the strengths of each platform as it allows you to maximise the understanding and effectiveness of your marketing efforts. We’d recommend having at least a Facebook or LinkedIn page where your business can display key information such as opening times, and then only create other social media accounts (e.g. Instagram) if you have the time to regularly post quality content.
The EQuerry / Co Team specialise in equestrian marketing, so drop us a message if your equine business’ website or social platforms could do with some love!
