Phuket, Thailand
I need to be fully transparent as I lead off this post.
I rely on social media as my prime off-site traffic source pointing aspiring and veteran bloggers to Blogging From Paradise Dot Com.
But my source of traffic is of course Blogging From Paradise Dot Com.
Everything technically starts here and ends here because I decided to run all success through cyber real estate that I personally own.
I have been warning you guys for 17 years as a blogger and 11 running this blog that depending on social media as your traffic source is online madness.
Once again, Facebook proved me right today.
I harbor no personal grievances towards the social media site. Nor do I blame their algorithm. I cannot complain one bit because they own everything over there and set all the rules.
I write this post peacefully with a smiling face because Facebook provided me with an impossible situation earlier today best forgiven.
I broadcast a live video through my main profile. After sharing it to six groups I received a warning message. Currently, my account is in review yet if the reviewer deems that I did not meet community standards my account will be permanently banned.
I cannot emphasize enough that I did exactly as I’ve been doing for many years. Adding to the impossible situation, I literally did what the Facebook algorithm tells me to do again and again, almost begging me to share it to a high volume of groups consistently.
I did not share it to a high volume of groups; only 6. I have shared content with these six groups on and off for many years.
Impossibly enough, for whatever reason the community standards robot or whatever decided to flag me today.
But since my success is through my blog I could care less whether they ban me or keep me.
Fair Warning
I want to warn you guys once again.
Never depend on social media as your traffic source.
Never depend on anything but online real estate that you own.
Invest money in your domain and hosting. Buy your blog. Set all the rules. Kick out commenters if you want. Kick out anybody if you want via blacklisting. Establish your algorithm. Run the show. Monetize your blog however you wish. Customize your blog however you want.
The possibilities really are limitless if you build your WordPress Dot Org blog from scratch.
But if you try to build traffic and income through social media sites you will be disappointed sooner than later in most cases. At the very least you better believe the social media algorithm has changed wildly over the years. Fluctuations undulating to and fro become like a social media earthquake sooner than later.
But the real surprise for those who haven’t been heeding my warning is the ban. Or maybe it is receiving a red flag for something truly impossible.
Impossible Situations Surface on Social Media
Impossible situations arise on social media because the algorithm tells you to do one thing which you have been doing for years; for no reason whatsoever and of course with no explanation necessary you get flagged one day and risk getting your account banned permanently.
What am I doing right now?
I’m laughing and moving on peacefully.
I’m not sweating it out.
My success is my blog.
I own this piece of online real estate.
I made the wise decision 17 years ago to be an owner not a renter or squatter.
Observe the Offline World
Look at the offline world.
Entrepreneurs who own real estate make the most money.
People who rent from entrepreneurs tend to make a lot less than those entrepreneurs.
If you own something your income potential is limitless.
If you have to pay someone else to live there it is not.
If you use something for free you are just part of the product and have zero power over there.
Look closely at social media.
Being part of their product as a free user just means that you can come and go like the tide and they don’t even have to give you an explanation. Far from being a complaint, it is a subtle reminder that you’d want to run everything through a blog. You set the rules on your blog.
I know more than a few bloggers with severe unconscious resistance to ownership will scramble right back to social media and suffer for it.
That’s ok guys.
But you better not say you weren’t warned.
Where does that leave me now?
I will certainly use Facebook if they restore my account.
But I will definitely pump the brakes a little bit over there to create more content for Blogging From Paradise Dot Com.
I will also double down on X and LinkedIn because each never gave me problems during my entire online career. I have never been red flagged or banned on either of those networks for the reasons that Facebook and Instagram always lobbed my way.
Travel Along the Least Resistant Path
Consider taking the path of least resistance away from the heavily resistant path.
You will never go wrong by buying into this mentality.
I harbor no grievances to Facebook. I actually like the site a lot. I love its global audience with billions being users.
But I know that Facebook is not the source of my blogging success.
I feel grateful that today’s gentle wake up call reminded me to focus primarily on my blog and channels of lesser resistance for me.
Every blogger walks a different journey.
Maybe Facebook never gave you problems but X did.
Perhaps LinkedIn proved to be a can of worms while Facebook and X have been fabulous to you.
Forget offsite traffic sources for a moment.
All Roads Lead to Your Blog
All roads for you should lead to your blog.
Make your blog the center of all traffic.
If and when one traffic source appears to go away the others will keep sending organic traffic and income to and through your blog.
Maybe you decide to open up another traffic source.
Perhaps you double down on remaining traffic sources.
Yet your success accelerates exponentially because your blog – the source – ain’t going anywhere.
Build primarily on real estate that you own to harvest exponential blogging success over years.
Let all other bloggers squat or rent if they wish.
Do the smart thing.
Run everything through your blog.
Make your blog the source of your online business success.
Social media can serve as an attractive off-site traffic source.
But never be fooled about this sometimes temperamental channel.
The community standards crowd can shut you down and ban you at any time for any reason.
No explanation needed because who needs to explain anything to the product?
