stop if you’ve heard this before. (just kidding – pls keep reading)

instagram put me on the naughty list.(you can read more about that here, if you feel like it)

and then they disappeared a few of my accounts with no warning and zero recourse.
all those connections, conversations, years of building community, just evaporated because some bot flagged me.

the problem with social platforms (a rant)

facebook groups aren’t yours. neither is your instagram account. or your tiktok following. or your twitter (sorry, “X”) community. (super ew, btw, what are you doing in there?!) you’re renting and the landlords suck.

what i did instead

i built my own space that includes a community directory, cute little chat, event calendar – just a fun community hub that lives on my server, follows my rules, and can’t just disappear. no algorithm. no zuckerberg, et al.
here’s what i used:
wordpress (because it’s open-source).
a plugin called suredash for chatroom/dashboard.
my own domain and hosting
here’s what i got:
member profiles and forums
full control over design, rules, and who gets in
a space that can’t disappear because mark had a bad day because of another genuinely baffling haircut.

but wait – what about my current website?

your main site can stay exactly where it is. squarespace, wix, showit, whatever. keep it.
you just create a subdomain for the community space.
example:
your main site: yourname.com (stays on squarespace)
your dashboard: community.yourname.com (lives on wordpress)
they’re connected but separate. your design-heavy portfolio stays intact. wordpress only handles the community part.

okay but is this hard?

not really. i’m kind of a numpty and managed it.
it takes like 2 hours and some clicking around. you don’t need to code. you just need:
a domain/subdomain.
wordpress hosting
suredash plugin (they have a free version but recommend pro for facebook group-like functionality)
willingness to try something new, make mistakes, & learn.
is it as easy as clicking “create group” on facebook? **using my best Walter White voice ** “absolutely not.”
owning your space takes a little more effort upfront. but then it’s yours.

so i made a guide

because after i built this, people kept asking how i did it & i’m not the gatekeeping kind. i truly want more people to do this. i want small businesses and creatives to THRIVE and not be at the mercy of some tech billionaire’s quarterly earnings call. so i made a guide. it’s called “my meta escape plan” and it walks you through how i set everything up, the tools I used, and approximate costs for everything.

who this is for

this guide is for you if:
you’re just tired of the platforms.
you value independence over convenience
this guide is NOT for you if:
you’re perfectly happy on facebook (no judgment, stay there)
you want the easiest & cheapest possible option (socials are like 144% easier and cheaper 🙃)

final thoughts

look, i’m not saying everyone should abandon social media. platforms have their place. they’re good for discovery and for reaching new people or for sharing quick updates. but they DEFINITELY shouldn’t be the ONLY place your community lives.
because when (not if) the next platform meltdown happens—algorithm change, policy shift, account ban, whatever – you’re going to want your back-up plan already in motion instead of scrambling after-the-fact.

questions? comments? want to tell me i’m wrong about something? you know where to find me. 💬