In case you happen to be on another planet this week, Meta, the parent company of social channels like Facebook, Instagram, Threads and more, went down. And by down, we mean users reported login problems - like getting kicked out and not being able to sign back in, along with reports of Instagram and Threads failing to load.
When we say people were freaking out about it, we mean it. Oh, the humanity.
Around 10 AM, EST, phones around the office started dinging with text after text. Turns out, if you're a trusted marketing consultant, clients, friends and well... your mother, will text you before Googling what could possibly be happening.
The Panic Was Real
"Can anyone else get onto Facebook?"
"I think I'm hacked again!"
"I have a live Facebook event happening in 5 minutes and I CAN'T GET ON!"
The texts were rolling in for everyone here. No one was safe - and the panic was real.
Here's a few of our favorites:
Some were panicking because they have never known life without social media. We're looking at you Gen Z. Others, like our clients, were on the verge of a nervous breakdown because it's their only form of communication with their customers, their clients and their following.
That's terrifying.
Don't Rely Solely on Your Social Channels
This situation just supports what we already tell every company we work with. Don't rely on one marketing channel to communicate and connect with your customers.
If for some reason, Meta went down for good, or they deleted your accounts (yes, they can and have done it), or worse - your accounts got hacked and you couldn't get them back, you would have no way of reaching your customer base.
You'd be left praying your followers loved you so much they would be checking your website daily or calling you for updates - and let's be honest that's not likely. At that point, it would be "out of sight, out of mind" and you would be SOL.
Build Your Email Database
Take this as a reason to finally work on building your email database. You may not believe it, but email marketing has the best return on investment (ROI) among all other marketing strategies. Crazy, right?
Email is not dead.
HERE'S 5 WAYS TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LIST:
1. Create a new lead-generation offer.
Create a free how-to guide or other download, place it on a page with a gated landing page and ask visitors to provide their email to download it.
2. Create a free resource that requires visitors to sign-up.
Exchange free resources and anything else that could potentially make someones life just a little easier, for that oh-so-valuable email capture.
3. Promote a contest on Facebook or Instagram.
Use your social channels to announce a free giveaway that requires and email to enter.
4. Set up a promotional offer.
Create an offer or coupon code that's revealed to your site's visitor only after they provide an email address.
5. Use Pinterest to promote your resources and other gated content.
Pinterest is a great platform to reach consumers looking for how-tos, free downloads and other valuable resources. Create beautifully pin-able content that clicks over to your gated landing pages - ready to capture those emails.
Start working on your email marketing strategy soon. You never know when you could lose access to the following you've spent so much time building.
If you need support, we can help. We're happy to consult you through the process. Contact us.