The 3 Most Important Lessons To Learn from Facebook, Messenger, Instagram & WhatsApp 8-Hour Blackout

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

The Single Thing Needed For A Successful Blog

It isn't a camera and it most definitely isn't capital.

Should I Blog in 2021? ONE Reason Why You Totally Should

It's 2021. 

The rise of virtual humans.

5 Important Questions To Ask Before Starting Your Blog

 

Not me trying to tell you what to do, but telling you what to do. 

How To Become a Blogger

 

Remember those social media diagrams that say - what people think and what it actually is?

My exact thoughts when I wanted to start my blog and eventually got it off the ground. A lot of people called me Barbsie back then cos that was what I called it. 

While I'd love to tell you it was pretty straightforward, it wasn't and isn't. But there were some questions I needed myself to answer first before I could call myself a blogger.

1. Why did I want to write my thoughts on a random space on the internet? Was there something wrong with me
2. What did I want to achieve? World fame or just freebies
3. Was there a particular person I wanted to target with what I was writing? My friends perhaps
4. Why was it my business to target that person? Maybe because I felt invested in their failure or success
5. How were these people going to read these things I wrote? Typing the URL directly into their browser maybe.
6. Is there a science to back up these things I wrote? Based on experience there is
7. How much do I know about what I want to write? A little. But, you learn when you teach so I'll be learning right along with everyone else too.

The last question is the reason why I went to makeup school - I wanted to know more about what I was going to be writing about. 

So, in answer to the question - How To Become A Blogger; first, answer these questions and you'll be on the right road to becoming a blogger. 

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

The Story From The Beginning

In the beginning, I was just a common Advertising executive with no experience. 

Everyone wondered how I had skipped the trainee step to become an executive because back then being a trainee was the first step (it actually still is). But somehow, I had been hired above my peers and others who had come before me. 

Didn't take me long to realise that things didn't work that way everywhere though and there was a price to pay for perceived favouritism. 

Didn't also help that I wasn't very good with being social and preferred my own company. 

Fast forward a couple of months into the first job, I applied for leave, took my leave allowance and went to makeup school.

Although that action was predicated on an entirely different mental standpoint, it was the beginning of my foray into being a Corporate Creative, blogging and eventually, how this 'hobby' of mine would spiral to become an invaluable tool for the sustenance of brands in the future. 

Welcome to the little space in my head that never keeps quiet. 

Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash