One of my worst business fears actually came true in 2024
Earlier this year, I opened my work inbox to [what I thought was] a sketchy email saying my Google Business profile was taken down for violating community guidelines. Spam, right? Wrong.
I almost deleted it but - just to be sure - I opened an incognito tab on my browser and searched "Simple Vintage Spring Texas." Nothing. Went to my normal browser and pulled up my page. Sure enough: Disabled. 😨 Reviews gone. 😭
If this has ever happened to you then you know the deep and infuriating tunnel you have to crawl through to get answers when something like this happens. When you can't find clear answers on the FAQ page and there's no way to reach a real person for help, it certainly *feels* like big business is out to shut you down. 🤬
It's not just google
Maybe you don't have a Google Business profile. Do you have a Facebook profile? Instagram? Many entrepreneurs with personal brands (think: coaches, financial advisors, realtors, mortgage lenders, fitness instructors, etc.) use social media as their primary marketing tool.
But this year TWO people in my circle - one a dear friend and the other a sweet client - experienced something similar. They woke up one morning to find that their Instagram and Facebook accounts were just GONE. In one case, a hacker was able to infiltrate and in the other, Meta simply took down her profile. No explanation given.
This is a really dark story but one with a good ending (AND what can do about it... promise)
The great news is that (eventually) all three of our profiles were restored. The better news is that I learned a few extremely valuable lessons that we can all take action on in the new year to help our businesses and personal brands succeed. Here they are in no particular order:
- ✌️ Secure your social media accounts by adding two-factor authentification (here's how to do that in Meta).
- 🤍 Collect referrals somewhere else in addition to asking for those Google reviews. I was absolutely heartbroken when I thought all those sweet words from past clients were just *poof* gone forever.
- 🫠 You and I - really & truly - don't have control over Google or our social media accounts.
- 🤓 We need to turn our best attention to the two places we have [a little more] more control.
making a better plan for 2025
No, I don't plan to take drastic measures like taking down my public profiles or "deleting my Facebook" like everyone threatens to do. Instead, I am implementing a strategy to ensure that my best marketing energy goes first to the places where they're making me lasting impact with less risk. 🙌 (And I'm this insight with you in part 2) 🙌
