We survived Facebook’s blackout. Now what?

As we’re sure you already know, on Monday, October 4th, 2021, Facebook went dark for about six hours, taking Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp offline with it.  For some, it was a nightmare.  For others, it was a moment to breathe.  Maybe you fell somewhere in the middle like us.  The important thing is… we made it!

What happened?  In an attempt to reconfigure its hardware on the backend, Facebook ultimately interrupted the flow within its international data centers.  To put it simply… if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.  The same goes for social.  Staying consistent on social media is no small feat.  After a while, it can feel like you are repeating the same few marketing tricks over and over.   Why do you continue to do it?  It’s because it works. 

If we learned anything from yesterday’s blackout, it’s that you have to have a Plan B.  If social goes down again, how would you answer these questions?

• Do you currently capture your customers’ information to reach them off of social media?
• Do you have a strong email marketing strategy that could be your social media backup?
• Could you call or text your customers directly if you had to?
• Are you building an online AND offline community?
• Are you missing out on other platforms where your audience is spending time online?
• Are you running paid advertising on other digital platforms?

Feeling behind on social?  Us too!  Here are a couple of tips to get your social channel’s performance back on track:

• Go live! 80% of audiences prefer watching live streams compared to reading content. 
• Post Reels on Instagram. Grab your audience’s attention in the first 3 seconds and they will be in it for the long haul of your video content.
• Boost your number of Stories. Posting 5-10 stories a day across Instagram and Facebook keeps your audience engaged and hungry for your content.
• Consider Paid Advertising. With all of the content that got pushed out instantly when Facebook came back to life, your organic content now has to fight even harder to be seen,

Bonus Tip: Lost on what to talk about? After social went dark, you can be a light!

Welcome your audience back to the social-sphere. Provide useful content explaining how your brand adapted to the blackout and how your audience could benefit from the value you offer.

Get back out there. Your audience is waiting for you!