103: From Fleeting Posts to Lasting Assets - Why Your Website Should Be the Hub Of Your Content

In this episode, Jules White shares why creating content you own first is a smarter, calmer route to sustainable marketing. If you’re pouring heart and soul into social media while your website sits neglected, this conversation shows how to flip that pattern so your site becomes the hub that actually drives decisions, sales and bookings.

Key takeaways

• Socials are rented space
  Most engagement happens within 24–48 hours. You’re feeding someone else’s platform rather than building assets you control.
• Your website is where decisions happen
  It’s the store, while social is just the signpost. Focus first on the pages closest to the sale and get the messaging crystal clear.
• Owned content gives you freedom
  When you create on your own channels first, you can repurpose to social by choice, not pressure.
• Authority comes from consistent long-form content
  Clear, repeated messaging across your site helps you get recommended in search and by AI systems.
• Proof that it compounds
  Jules’ podcast has passed 8,000 downloads without ads or social promotion, with early episodes still attracting listeners each week.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Listen to last week’s Episode 102: Social Media Is Optional - How to Build a Calmer Business Without Constant Posting
  How to make social a choice, not a requirement.
• Episode 92: Want to be ChatGBT Famous? Here’s how AI really picks who to show
  Tips on showing up in AI results and building brand authority.
• Join the Website Growth Club
  Step-by-step support to make your website the hub and reduce reliance on social media.
• Book a discovery call
  Get honest guidance on whether the Website Growth Club or 1:1 support is the best fit for you.

If you found this helpful, please subscribe to the show and share it with a friend who wants a calmer, more sustainable way to market online.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Problem with Social Media Content Creation
• 1:22 We Are the Product on Social Media
• 1:56 Your Website is Where Decisions Happen
• 3:11 Creating Content You Own First
• 5:59 Focus on Key Website Pages
• 8:25 Taking Back Control of Your Time
• 12:11 Building Your Brand Through Owned Content
• 14:49 The Short Lifespan of Social Media Content
• 16:32 Real Results from Owned Content
• 19:12 Taking Action Steps

Transcript

AI-GENERATED TRANSCRIPT - MAY CONTAIN ERRORS

The Problem with Social Media Content Creation

Many business owners are pouring time, heart and soul into socials posting every day.

Curating their feed, keeping up with the trends and chasing the algorithm. And meanwhile, their websites are neglected, confusing, outdated, not converting.

So I wanna talk today about why this is wrong and why there is an alternative way and why actually focusing on content that we own first and foremost, is generally the better way to make sure that we are.

Making the most of what we're creating and to really build something that's gonna work for us, not just now, but also in the future as well.

So the problem with creating content for socials is that most of the engagement comes in the first 48 hours.

So you are putting all this effort in, you are like. I put in so much, literally so much heart and emotions and time into creating content for social media, and you are feeding somebody else's platform.

We Are the Product on Social Media

So I talked about this last week in the episode about social media being optional about the fact that if we're not paying for a product, if we're not paying to advertise on a product, then we are the product.

So it is something that actually these platforms are basically getting us to be free content creators for them.

So it is not content that you own. It's not something that you have control over.

It's not something that you can utilise in any way that you want.

So that's why I always say to make sure that your website is the place that you start and build from there, really.

Your Website is Where Decisions Happen

So your website is the place where people actually make decisions.

They decide whether to buy from you, whether to join your email list, whether to take the action that you are trying to encourage them to take.

And if it isn't getting the attention that it needs, then this is somewhere that you can focus on and actually really just help to move your business forward.

And rather than kind of investing in, like I always think of it like.

Social media is like investing in a rented billboard.

And then if your website is a mess, then it's like then not actually sorting out your actual shop.

So somebody sees a billboard advert, they come into the shop and it looks a mess.

And I kind of think of that as an analogy of what it's like if you are focusing on social media and you've got these beautiful curated social media feeds and then your website's a mess, it's a real sort of missed opportunity really.

So last week's episode, episode 102 was all about social media is optional, and this is all about how we make that possible.

So this is gonna be a series around why social media is optional, what that means for us and how we can make the most of it.

And this is really about how focusing on our own content first is key to making sure that we are making the most of it really.

Creating Content You Own First

So it's really just thinking about if we were flipping the script and instead of creating stuff just to feed the algorithm, we instead start creating content that we own first and foremost.

So if your website, uh, sort of think of it like your website being the hub of your business. And it's more important than ever now as we move into sort of more AI search and actually, getting recommended by platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Google's AI mode, and anywhere where people can get recommended is.

Making sure that we are actually building a brand and building our authority of our brand with long-term content.

So if we wanna get mentioned as the expert in ChatGPT or wherever, as well as Google searches, then making sure that across the internet we're using that same repeated message over and over again.

So we're making sure that we have this consistent, authoritative brand, and your website is the hub of that.

So all of these platforms as they're looking for information on why they should recommend you as a trusted person for the particular search that somebody's doing, then having your website as the hub of that brings everything back to that thing that you own and that is gonna show you as that authority in what you do, really.

One of the problems with focusing on social media is we are kind of being forced to be content creators.

We are being forced into creating this endless cycle of content.

And by focusing on your own content first, it can just help you to bring back control so you can feel good about the content you're putting out into the world, and you can just really take back that freedom.

So I just wanna talk about a few things around why, why it's important to focus on the content that you own first, really.

So the big one is obviously that you're free of the social media's algorithm by focusing on stuff that you own first it gives you that choice back.

It gives you that freedom that you are not then relying on the algorithm to bring new customers, bring new clients.

You're doing other things in your business, creating your own content.

That actually then is what then brings those people in because, you make that choice if you decide to post something.

It's something that you're doing because you want to, rather than you have to.

I think that's, that's my big problem with all of this is that we are sort of told that you have to do social media.

That you can't have a successful business without social media. And actually it's not true.

If you don't want to use it, then you don't have to. And if you don't wanna post every day, or if you don't want to post today, or if you don't want to post for the next six months.

It should be your choice. It's your business, it's your choice.

you decide what you want to do really.

But by creating stuff that you own and then maybe using that as the starting point for everything else, then it's not stuff that's just gonna go away tomorrow, it's not gonna go away in 24 hours, basically.

Focus on Key Website Pages

So focus on a few key pages of your own website, and this is where I always start when I'm working with clients in the website Success Hub, or if I'm working one-to-one with clients, then we focus on some key pages of your website first.

Making that the hub of your content, and the hub of your business as well.

So everything leads back to your website it just makes everything else simpler then.

If you put the work in to actually get your website messaging clear.

This is a big part of what we do in the website Growth Club, is actually making sure that we are really clear on the problems that we solve for our customers, the language that they would use around that.

The state that they're in, like where they are before they work with us, where they want to be when they've finished working with us, and how we can get that across in simple ways on our website so we're not making people burn mental calories to work out how to do business with us basically.

If you do that and then you put that work in with doing that, it's gonna help you feel more confident about what you're actually selling.

It's gonna help you understand why what you do matters.

It's gonna help you to understand the, understand what, what problems you solve for your customers and why that is important.

I think we can often get caught up in thinking about the features of what we're selling, whereas actually doing this work and focusing on how this helps your customers how it helps make their lives better, then that can then really help you across everything you're doing as well.

So if you do decide to use social media, if you do decide that you want to create content for other platforms or if you are doing guest talks and things like that, and you create that content there, by doing that work on your own website in the first place, you've got that messaging there.

You've got your clear map of how you actually help people.

You've got that language, that you need to use across all of these places.

So it just makes it a lot simpler, it makes it a lot easier to then get your messaging across in a clear way and keep repeating that as well.

'cause that's the other thing with being featured in AI searches and showing up on Google as well, it's if you are repeating that message on the different places throughout the internet where your business does exist, if you're doing PR and that kind of stuff, then.

That's how you actually build that brand authority, really.

So focusing on those core pages first, making sure that your sales pages, the pages that are closest to the sale, the making sure that they're actually talking about the things that you do as well, really.

The good thing with doing that and doing that on your website is that does continue to work for you over time as well.

Taking Back Control of Your Time

I think one of the problems as well, and the thing of like taking back control is as business owners, we end up doing lots of this stuff for marketing and what we really wanna do is focus on the things that we actually enjoy doing.

The things that actually is, is our craft, is the thing that we're selling to our customers.

Rather than sort of having to spend so much time creating brand new content all the time and just becoming, as I say this, this content creator by doing this work and creating this hub.

And it's not to say that you don't then come back and look at your website again because you absolutely do need to, but you're not churning out content all the time, really.

So it allows you to take the time and enjoy doing the things that you actually want to do in your business rather than just doing this constant marketing on social media and having to be a content creator all the time.

And as I say, you can repurpose with what you've created.

You can then repurpose that and use that over time and you know, as you want to really.

So you're not wasting time and energy as well.

I think many or most of my listeners here have businesses that do good in the world.

They're purpose led businesses, where they want to help their customers, they really care about helping their clients and their customers.

I believe most of them as well don't wanna overwhelm their customers I know.

I certainly feel like that about my clients.

I don't wanna overwhelm you with tons and tons of content, just keep churning out content, adding to the noise, adding to the overwhelm.

You feel overwhelmed creating the content.

They feel overwhelmed 'cause they're seeing all this content and that's contributing to the noise in their brain as well.

And that's not something to necessarily, feel bad about if we are creating content, but I think It's that big thing of it being a choice rather than it being something where you are creating content for the sake of it.

You maybe using AI to generate some content or to give you the ideas for all of this endless content that you can create.

And it does just end up being noise.

It ends up being wasteful almost really, if it's content that's throwaway.

I've never really liked the idea of throwaway content, and if you are creating content that is just thrown away and just as soon as you, as soon as it comes out almost, it's then gone off into the ether, gone off into the algorithm.

It's a waste of your time. It's a waste of your energy.

It's a waste of your one precious life I think.

Just creating content because you feel like you have to and because you feel like there's no alternative way to market your business without creating more of this endless content, really.

So I think by focusing on stuff that you own, it kind of, it gives you permission to step off the hamster wheel to actually escape social media and to actually create content where you think about it.

You spend time thinking about what do I actually want to say to my customers and clients?

What do I actually need to say?

Have I said those important things in the place where I actually make my sales?

Have I said those things in that content that I own, because I see this a lot where people have got really beautiful.

Curated Instagram feeds.

And they're really talking about the things that they do and the problems that they solve on Instagram, but not necessarily talking about that on their website, on the pages where people actually do buy and the pages that would actually show up in Google and other searches.

So I think it's noticing how you feel about this, noticing that you are, feeling like you've gotta keep creating content, how does that make you feel?

Does it make you feel anxious? Does it make you feel like full of joy and that you actually wanna do it?

Because I think, you know, so often it doesn't often we are, we are just doing this because we feel like we have to, and so it just gives you permission to have an alternative to that really, and to think about things differently really.

Building Your Brand Through Owned Content

So, um, the other thing it does is it helps to build your brand.

Obviously this is a big, big part of this, by focusing on content that you own first, focusing on your website, focusing on those pages, whether it's blogs or whether it's sales pages, whatever pages you you're thinking about on your website is the place where your sales take place, where your bookings happen, those kind of things.

And the social media side of it is more like the signposts and not the actual store.

And so let's focus on the store and building that brand there.

And when you want to be recommended by Google or ChatGPT or any AI searches, they need to have long form content to pull from so they, it does, that doesn't necessarily mean blogs long form content can certainly be Within your sales pages.

But they can then understand that you are this, this business, this entity, this, this same person here that you're talking about in all the other places online.

maybe if you're getting talked about on forums and things like that, it brings back to that one place of authority that is building your brand is showing your expertise.

It's showing why this isn't just more content that's been created by AI and that's where adding in things like your own perspective on things and adding in your own, um, your own authority, why you are the authority on this particular topic, having that on your website helps to build that authority of your brand and your website is the place that ties that all together as well really.

I'd recommend going back and listening to episode 92, which is want to be ChatGPT Famous.

Here's how AI really picks who to show.

Have a listen to that one that gives you some tips on how to actually show up in ChatGPT and be the one that actually they, that are, is showing up in the AI searches and how you can then build that brand authority within that.

And I think building this content and building it on your own website the third important point really, is that owned content can last for years, whereas socials disappear so fast.

The Short Lifespan of Social Media Content

So the average longevity of an Instagram post in the feed, so when it gets most of its engagement, most of its likes, et cetera, is 48 hours.

And LinkedIn is 24 hours.

For Facebook it's five hours.

And TikTok, ultimately it's minutes after a video is released.

If it doesn't go viral, then it's kind of disappears off apparently so.

I think when you, when you think about that and you think about all of that, that effort that you put into this post and into creating these feeds, then it's a bit soul destroying really, when you think that that's gone in that time.

Whereas content on your own website, blogs.

Blog posts, podcast episodes can be performing for years and years to come and even if it's an, if it's a blog post that you find, it's suddenly starting, dipping off in the amount of engagement that it's getting and the amount, amount of views it's getting.

Sometimes just going in and updating it, looking at the article, looking at the stuff you've already created, and working out how to make it better and to tweak it.

It is so much easier to do and so much more effective than just reinventing the wheel all the time, creating new stuff from, from scratch, really.

So that's the ways that we can use our own content and making sure that it does last, making sure that we are making the most of it for, not just for now, but for in the future as well.

So no algorithm can take that away, which is really good.

No platform change can take that away.

We own it. It's our content.

We can do what we want with that, really, basically, we're not gonna break somebody's rules unless you, you know, you gotta do something really bad to break Google's rules and get de-indexed from Google, but yeah, it's, we are not so beholden to those algorithm, algorithmic changes.

Obviously there are Google's algorithms, but that content is still there and it's still something that you can still get indexed and, make the most of really.

Real Results from Owned Content

An example of this is my podcast, so my, I've just hit 8,000 downloads of the podcast without promoting it on social media or paying for ads.

And those downloads are still compounding as well.

So early episodes are still getting downloads every single week.

I see that when I look at my stats, I can see those early episodes are quite popular and people are still listening to them every week.

And then people go through and binge your content and get to know you.

And when they come onto discovery calls or when they make a purchase, they feel like they already know you so much further.

And it's not just my own podcast as well.

So I'm getting clients from a podcast I was on two years ago, and I see that on my email list as well.

I see as people are signing up to my email list, they'll mention podcasts that I've been on as how they've heard about me.

And it's great. this is still sustainable content.

It's still long form content that can help to keep working for you for years to come as well, really.

So when I'm working with one-to-one with clients, and also in my website Growth Club, we use the website Success framework.

So that's my signature framework and it starts with the foundation.

So it starts with making sure those most important, those core pages of your website are optimised are really making, making the most of what you sell and are mentioning those keywords that they need to, to make sure that they are showing up on Google, converting people to clients as well.

And then we would then build out, build that out with some key assets as well.

But not necessarily blogging does depend on the business.

Um, for some businesses that might involve blogging for some businesses it won't.

Depends how much what, how many things you're selling, what kind of business you've got.

How much content you've got already on your website.

But the goal with that is that it keeps bringing new clients.

So we work through the foundations, we work through those stages of the pathway to website success, and we make sure that your website is.

Working for you, focusing on the most important things first as well, because I think it's quite often, the temptation is there to just tinker and mess about with your website and try some different things, whereas actually focusing on those most important things first, which for a lot of businesses, that's not blogging.

That's not where to focus first.

But actually making sure that we do that, then You can invest in your website once, and you can benefit for years basically.

And that's not to say, as I say that, that you can build your website and then forget about it, but it's that you've built out those foundations, you've really got a strong base for your whole business that it then comes back to your website as the hub, really.

So is your website telling your story as clearly as your Instagram feed?

And if it's not, how do you feel about that?

How do you feel about having to create content all the time?

Do you want a different way?

Are you looking for some alternative to being a slave to social media all the time?

Taking Action Steps

So this week, if you're thinking about how you can actually make the most of this and actually start taking action on this, update one page of your website, pick one that is closest to the sales.

So for some businesses that might be sales pages.

For some businesses that will be your email signup page.

if you tend to sell to people more through your email list, then it may be more important to focus on that.

Um, or even sending emails as well.

That's another form of evergreen content.

Things that can keep performing for you and keep bringing clients into your business time after time and for years to come, really.

Or if not, if you're thinking okay, I've done my page that's closest to the sale, what page of your website is gonna really help to build your authority?

What page is, something that you need to go back and look at and improve so that you can really show why your business is the one that should be recommended in relation to what you do.

There might be a page on your website, maybe it's a blog, maybe it's your about page, but maybe it's something else where actually that's the page you need to focus on to help to build your authority online, really.

So this is what we focus on in the website Growth Club, as I say.

So helping you to build this hub.

So you don't have to keep running faster and faster and faster on the social treadmill just to try and keep up.

And. Also with one-to-one support as well.

So if you're not sure what's right for you, if you're not sure what path can help you the most in terms of actually getting your website, working for you, making your website your hardest working team member, then book a discovery call.

I'll give you my honest thoughts and, and guide you in the right direction really in terms of how I can help you.

So remember, just to wrap this all up.

Create your own content first.

Social media is optional, but your website should always be the hub that it comes back to.

And those assets, those things that you build on your own website, will outlive every fleeting post and will help to build your brand authority both now and for the future.

So I hope you found this helpful, if you did, please subscribe to the show and share this episode with a friend who also wants to escape social media's grip and take care and I'll see you soon.

Bye.