In October 2021, Facebook and Instagram shut down for hours. It created a panic for businesses, solopreneurs, and influencers running their businesses solely on those platforms.
Did you feel the intense stress of that day?
According to
NPR, “Many businesses see the platforms as a primary tool, using them to advertise, connect with customers, and sell products and services.”
Most of these businesses, and maybe even you, lost a full day of work, sparking the question, “How can you make sure your business survives when social media platforms go down or disappear completely?”
This ‘social media shutdown’ has happened every year. And it will happen again. So make sure you’re prepared!
In case Instagram and Facebook go down again, or you’re faced with another similar challenging situation…
Here is a list of 6 ways to make sure your business thrives even in uncertain times.
1. Build an email list
There are 3 types of traffic…
1. Traffic you influence - Or traffic you can’t directly control, like social media.
2. Traffic you rent - Paid advertising would be an example of traffic you rent.
3. Traffic you own - This is where building an email list comes in.
The goal is to have all 3 types of traffic working for your business.
Why?
Because just in case one day you lose access to the traffic you influence and rent (or if Facebook ever goes down again), you will still be able to run your business profitably.
So how do you build an email list?
It can be as simple as asking people to subscribe to your newsletter where you share tips and tricks once a month.
2. Be on more than one social media platform.
Diversifying your social media accounts is a great way to make sure you’re also diversifying your traffic sources.
But make sure you’re not on social media sites owned by the same business-like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Instead, pick Instagram and Pinterest or TikTok and Instagram.
This is key because when you’re on more than one social media platform, you have more opportunities to not only attract more customers...
But you will also be able to serve your community better. It sounds like a win-win!
And if you’re worried that being on more than one social media platform will mean double the work... don’t be!
Why?
Because you can repurpose your content on one platform and optimize it for other platforms. For instance, you could create a YouTube video and then create clips from that video to share on Instagram.
3. Start a referral program.
Referral programs are a simple way to get new leads for your business without relying solely on social media. They allow existing customers to market your business while also getting rewards or even getting paid for their efforts.
Referral programs are easy marketing and a huge added bonus for any company.
Wavoto makes it easy to set-up a Referral Program, but referral tracking built right into your CRM and a content block you can easily add to any page to allow people to sign-up to become a member of your program!
4. Network in real life.
Even though times are changing and more networking is being done online than ever before…
There are still opportunities for you to go to in-person marketing and business events!
Why does this matter?
Because ‘real life’ networking is the best way to make connections with people. Meeting customers or clients face to face increases your “Know, Like, and Trust” factor, resulting in stronger relationships and a more tight-knit community.
5. Partner with other bloggers and influencers.
Even though bloggers and influencers have similar goals, they reach their audience in different ways. So when you partner with bloggers and influencers, it’s easier for you to build brand awareness and for more people to find you.
One way to partner with other bloggers and influencers is by building a campaign together. For example, say you own a costume store, you could partner with bloggers and influencers to create content around the best ways to rock your costumes.
Influencers could post their content to their Instagram stories, while bloggers create high-quality blog posts around the same idea.
6. Create engagement in your community.
Creating engagement in your community doesn’t have to be hard.
In fact, it could be as simple as sharing relatable stories with your audience, creating videos and asking your followers to like them, or even posting consistent content on your social media accounts.
When you create engagement in your community, it builds deeper, stronger, and more meaningful relationships.
Why does this matter?
Because the more trust you build in your relationships, the more sales you get in your business!
We may be living in uncertain times, but that doesn’t mean your business can’t still thrive!
Even though the world is quickly changing, if you make sure you’re diversifying your traffic sources, there’s no stopping you!
One way to “snap proof” your business is with Wavoto’s all-in-one marketing platform...
It’s ONE place where you can:
Build your dream website...
Share all your content…
And automate your marketing.