Why Facebook's recent outage did you a favour

Wondering why, or how the recent Facebook outage benefits your business, and how social media might be ready for a fall?

OK, so Facebook and the big giant players in the social media sphere are not going away any time soon, but the recent outage on Facebook, Facebook messenger, as well as its other adopted platforms - Instagram and Whatsapp, has given us a little glimpse into how large Mark Zuckerberg's reach really is. Back in 2008 when the last big outage happened, 150 million Facebook users were affected, and now, in 2019, 2.3 billion users were affected. It is hard to imagine or remember a time before Facebook was in our lives, and even harder to imagine a lifestyle in which we didn't use it, whether for business, or the social platform it was originally intended to be.

Whilst the majority of us will never reach the dizzying heights of the Zuckerberg's of the world, we do rely heavily on their generally free social media platforms. And why not? Its cost effective, easy to use, and gets us in front of our audience immediately, and while you may hear some business owners complain about the algorithm being out to get them, or the frustration that the platform has advertisements, the plain truth is, you can grow your business organically on social media with little investment. As a social media strategist and manager, organic growth on platforms like Facebook and Instagram are my bread and butter, and the fact you can reach your audience in their own home, makes it an essential part of your marketing strategy.

What this can encourage though, is a complacency and a reliance on large companies that dominate the landscape, and when they suffer, so do we. But perhaps the craziness that came with the outages can be a blessing in disguise?

For entrepreneurs building their own empire, it stands as a reminder not to put all your proverbial eggs in one basket. Even if that basket is free, easy to access at home, and simple to use on your smart phone, with a bow on top.

The sphere for your business is wider than the Facebook's of this world. E-mail marketing, a more traditional marketing approach in your local area, networking events, a solid website, can all combine with social media across a few varieties of platforms, and can really provide you with a solid social media strategy to build your business with.

So thank you Facebook for the timely reminder that our business isn't linked to your success or failure, but linked to our own business planning and the strategies that we can develop, own, and put into place, regardless of whether Facebook crumbles, or soars around us. 

{If you are ready to take a bigger picture look at your company's social media strategy, get in touch to book your no obligation discovery call, and see how your business can launch to the next level. I'd love to talk with you and hear all about your entrepreneurial journey }