FOUR THINGS TO DO WHEN INSTAGRAM GOES DOWN
Instagram going down is a marketers DREAM!
It happens every once in a blue moon, and the whole world goes into a tizzy. Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are all owned by Meta, which all run on the same servers. When there’s an outage or issue, it seems like the whole world stops, panics, and runs to another social media platform to announce, “WhatsApp is Gone! IG is Down!” While the world freaks out, you, as a brilliant marketer, see opportunity where others see tragedy.
While IG is down, your audience doesn't have access to their most used app on their phone. They haven't gotten any notifications in like, an hour (!!!) and are craving another dopamine hit. GO GIVE IT TO THEM.
1. If your audience isn't on IG, they're everywhere else: Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Snapchat. Go post there. Go interact there.
2. SEND AN EMAIL BLAST NOW. Make sure it contains value. It doesn’t need to have any reference to what’s going on, but drop something in there that people can take action on. Now is the time for a discount code, flash sale or special offer. Bonus tip: have an email like this prepared in your drafts for any special occasion like this - edit it & the subject line briefly before sending so it’s topical, but you can use this technique in many circumstances - major world events, celebrating a win, or crossing a milestone.
3. Let this be a reminder that building your entire marketing strategy around one social media network is like building your dream house on land you're renting from someone else. If you're not diversified, you're dead. In order to have staying power, we encourage our clients to have an omni-channel presence. This means repurposing your content not just onto the major social media platforms, but to YouTube, TikTok, your website, blog, etc.
4. If your CMO or marketing team isn't looking at every culturally relevant news story as an OPPORTUNITY to make money for your business, hire a new marketing team. FYI: Instagram going down is one of them. Make a meme. Record a TikTok video. This is NOT the time to check out. It’s time to take action.
If you have questions about what to do in the face of chaos, reach out to us. There are appropriate times to post and there are appropriate times to be quiet. Or there may be times to throw your planned social media schedule out the window and create something relevant to the zeitgeist. If you are trying to manage your business and the nuance of social media, and are feeling like you have too much on your plate… let us know.
