Ah yes, nothing like making that first cup of Monday morning coffee and going to check the socials…only to find that you can’t.
Cue internal scream.
Facebook is all 404s. Your Instagram feed isn’t refreshing. You can’t even get on WhatsApp to complain to your chat buddies.
But Twitter is up (praise be to @jack), and it has the goss. Two of the world’s biggest social platforms are down, down, down. And right now, we’ve got no idea when they’re coming back. It’s carnage out there. (Where will your aunt get her news?!)
But you’re all good, right? Because you’ve got stuff going on other than that amazing Reel you had scheduled and that killer Live you were ready to host. That was me, I was the Live host.
If you don’t, well, let this darkest of days be a learning (and converting) experience for you.
Here are my two tips to help you get through this anti-social moment.
1. Step away from the computer and your cell phone.
I know, I know. Disconnecting is scary. But you can do it. Breathe. Make that coffee to-go, and head outdoors away from screens and notifications and all the digital noise. Logging off is a critical component of self-care – and there’s no better sign that we all need to step away and rest our eyes and minds than half the internet going down.
BUT OMG, why is it that these social media icons lure us in multiple times a day like a tick we all have to constantly be refreshing. One of my good friends and trainer, Alicia Cross, texted me and said it best. “It can have an upside. It’s weird how it kinda feels like when the power goes out, but you forget and keep hitting the light switch anyway.”
I feel like automatic pull REG-U-LAR-LY. So instead…
A walk outside is good for mind, body…and your dog. Your dog approves, I promise.
Plus, here’s the good news: if you’re doing the social thing right, your presence goes way beyond your Instagram posts. You’ve got your newsletters, your landing pages, your ebooks and your Google ads. So sit tight and watch the leads roll in.
You got this. Just breathe.
2. Fine tune your sales pipeline.
Yup, we’re always talking about content calendars and consistency and eyeballs and followers. And that stuff totally matters. But remember, all the inspired brilliance you post to your social channels is just the beginning of your SaLeS PiPeLiNe. (That’s me doing typographical jazz hands.)
Your goal on social should always be to funnel people towards your email list, your paid subscriptions and all that other goodness you have going on. Sure, you want to be engaging people – but the end goal is to nail down those coveted email addresses. Or even better, those credit card details of paying clients.
(Remember, that the buyer’s journey goes Awareness > Consideration > Decision, NOT Awareness > Awareness > Awareness!)
Yep, it sucks that two of the biggest platforms in the world are down, but remember you’ve worked hard for generating an audience and building a following, but let days like today remind you that Zuckerberg owns your followers – you don’t. It’s your job to make sure you can reach them even when the Facebook intern has spilled Mountain Dew all over their server and messed things up. That’s not what happened… just sayin.’
So, while you’re out there walking your doggo, ask yourself:
- Are you using social to build your newsletter list?
- Are you sending out newsletters AS WELL AS doing the social thing?
- Are you growing your business using OTHER channels and methods?
If the truth is that you’re really spending all day on Instagram chatting with randos instead of being strategic and engaging with your ideal prospects, it’s time to rework that sales pipeline (and get that newsletter magic happening).
At least with Facebook and Instagram down for the foreseeable future, you’ve freed up a ton of time to do just that. Now go pour yourself a glass (or two) of wine – I know I will be doing that STAT — and enjoy your social media free evening.
Need some help building a social > sales pipeline or whipping up an emergency newsletter? I’m your gal. Drop me a line via email or any of the social channels that are actually working right now, and I’ll help get your sales sorted out.