We've all heard the phrase 'Never put all your eggs in one basket'. But it seems we never learn.
In the first quarter of 2019, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram experienced outages for almost 24 hours which saw users and brands suffering business-wise and emotionally. Geez, I'm almost sure some had high blood pressure or even fainted.
That was 2 years ago and it would have been assumed that lessons would have been learned from that.
Alas, not, in 2021, brands and creators the world over, were once again thrown into a state of panic when Facebook and it's apps experienced an 8-hour blackout.
With the recent account loses by creators, it was a tangible worry for them that their accounts would be lost and their livelihood cruelly snatched from them in the blink of an eye and for brands, it is inestimable the losses that would have been experienced.
Well, I hope we have learned. I have. That's why I'm sharing 3 important lessons:
1. You Don't Own Anything On Social Media.
If you ever thought you did, shame on you.
Your content is owned by the platforms on which you post. These platforms are not controlled by you and realising you are subject to their whims at any point in time is the best thing you can do.
I always advise brands and creators to have a blog or an email list. When you own your own content repository or contact list, you can retrieve your content or reach out to your customers at any time with no fear of loss.
Still wondering why you should create a blog in 2021?
Read this
2. Decentralise Your Social Presence.
Do you really only need to be on only Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? There are so many other platforms you can play around with and be present on.
Although these platforms have made it easier to connect with the audience by providing almost everything e.g. VR, Live, Interactive and promotional tools e.t.c., there are still other platforms that can provide this same services and other social media platforms for networking too i.e. LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, SnapChat and more.
Yes, it will require a new learning curve, but it will definitely be worth the peace of mind in the end.
3. Prepare For The Worst But Stay Calm.
I am of the school of thought that says, "When you prepare for the worst, nothing can surprise you.".
Learn to think through all your processes, make plans for any eventuality, back-up, save, store, have duplicates.
Nothing is certain except yourself. Always remember that.
Photo by Cristian Dina from Pexels
