The Facebook & Instagram Outage: A Wake-Up Call for Business Owners
October 4, 2021, at exactly 11:39 AM ET—Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp suddenly went dark. No warning, no countdown, just a global six-hour blackout that left billions disconnected.
For businesses that relied solely on social media to communicate with customers, it was a nightmare. Marketing campaigns were paused, sales dropped, and customer service inquiries went unanswered. People were scrambling for updates, but there was no way to reach their audience.
What caused it? A faulty configuration change. A single mistake took down the world’s biggest social platforms. Just like that, businesses relying solely on social media lost access to their customers.
The Problem with Relying on Social Media
Social media has changed the way businesses connect, but here’s the hard truth: you don’t own your audience there.
• You’re at the mercy of ever-changing algorithms.
• A single outage can bring your business to a halt.
• Your account could be suspended or banned without warning.
Even Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, couldn’t prevent the outage. If he can’t control it, how can you?
What’s the Solution? Diversify.
If you don’t want your business to go silent the next time social media fails, it’s time to take control.
✅ Build your email list – Unlike social media, email gives you direct access to your audience. No algorithms, no restrictions.
✅ Set up a website – Your website should be the foundation of your online presence, a place where you control the traffic and messaging.
✅ Expand to other marketing channels – Pinterest, YouTube, SMS marketing—don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Take Back Control of Your Business
Social media is a great tool, but should you fully rely on it? Absolutely not. The next outage could happen anytime, and you don’t want your business to be on pause when it does.
Want to future-proof your marketing? Let’s build a strategy that puts you in control. Learn more at gerongvirtualassistance.com.
