The case for disengaging from Meta ads

Remember when Meta announced their harmful content moderation policy changes back in January? That announcement was enough to make a lot of people cut back their use of Facebook and Instagram–or delete their accounts entirely.

Now that it’s been several months, well, here’s just one example of how those policy changes are panning out:

Yep, those policies apparently include treating a positive meme about immigrants the same way they’d treat gore or violence.

Meta’s policy updates make it harder for users and organizations to connect–especially those from strategically undervalued populations. They've basically said in writing that they'll allow us to be bullied off the platform.

Here’s the thing though: they WANT us to be cut off from each other. By making it harder for voices like ours to thrive on their platforms, they’re hoping we’ll either pay up or get out.

If that makes you as mad as it does me, let's talk about how we hit Meta where it hurts most: in their wallets. 

Tank Meta’s profits by cutting Meta ads out of your life

It probably comes as no surprise that the vast majority of Meta’s revenue comes from ads. This means that, even if it feels like your work or business depends on social media, you can still show your dissatisfaction with Meta’s shady ways.

You can kick Meta’s bottom line in the dick with just a few key changes:

Stop Clicking on Meta Ads

This is the simplest step to take–though maybe not the easiest one–and you can do it as a regular-degular user! Ads and boosted posts are highly dependent on clickthroughs, so the less you click, the less Meta gets paid. (bonus: you'll save that business the cost of your click, too)

If you just have to have that advertised item, you can hop out of the app and do a web search for the product or the company.

Stop Buying Ads 

Does your business use paid ads or boosted posts on Facebook and Instagram? When you pull the plug on those ads, you stop the flow of your dollars into Meta’s pockets. 

If you’re nervous about cutting out ads, experiment with other channels. We’ve been giving LinkedIn Ads a go, and it’s a strong platform for service providers and consultants in particular. Added bonus: it’s a noticeably less competitive platform to advertise on than Meta!

Shore Up Your Organic Social Strategy 

Even if ads have worked for you in the past, paying for exposure, well, sucks. Pulling away from Meta ads is a great opportunity to give more attention to your organic social media postings. The more results you see from your organic activities on social media, the less you’ll need to use ad buys as a crutch.

Here are a few key things to look at, for starters:

• Are you posting consistently? (note: “consistent” and “frequent” are not the same thing!)
• Do your posts include a call-to-action? 
• Is your content relevant and helpful to your audience?
• Do you have social SEO working in your favor? (if you’re not sure how to do that, here’s a quick primer to get you going.)

No matter what actions you take, it’s never a bad thing to be more mindful about how we use social media, both for the sake of the revolution and the sake of your sanity. 

Just remember: even if your $10 ad buys seem like they’d barely make a dent, the power of collective action is real. We can work together to make tech broligarchs broke again. 😉

P.S. If you need support with sketching out an organic social strategy that works for your values and your business, come get on my calendar. I’m here to talk about it as my time allows.