Instagram down? Here’s what to do while you wait
Instagram not working? First of all, don’t despair. It happens, and it will be back up in no time. Instead of refreshing the screen impatiently, you might want to do these things while you wait:
1. Focus on other social networks
If Instagram is down, Facebook and WhatsApp are likely also down. It’s never a good idea to have all your eggs in one (Meta) basket. One of the downsides of relying on a single social network is that you can’t really control whether they decide to shut down your account or make the platform temporarily unreachable.
Instead, make sure you have other means of reaching your audience, such as Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube or X. You can easily repurpose content from your Instagram account if you don’t have the option to create fresh stuff. Or you can take the time you saved not scrolling on Instagram to make something new for your audience.
2. Work on your website
Even though I’m a social media manager, I still get the most inquiries through my website. And I get the most traffic from SEO. Go figure. A website is professional and official, and it acts like an online home for your business (they don’t call it a homepage for nothing). It’s important to have a website if you want more control over your content, top notch analytics, simple bookings and shopping for your customers.
If your website is already perfectly updated (although is it ever?), you might want to write a blog post or two while Instagram is down. You can repurpose the content into an Instagram carousel later!
3. Create content
Speaking of content. Instagram makes it that we consume so much more content than we create. Take advantage of the brief break to finally create the content you’ve been postponing. Films those B-roll videos of you working or walking in the neighborhood. Have an at-home photoshoot. Open your notes up and actually create the posts you’ve been planning for weeks. Here are some Instagram post ideas if you’re blanking out.
4. Work on your newsletter
If people have been kind enough to give you their email address, you should be kind enough to email them regularly! Treat your contacts with respect and they will not just remain subscribed, but also open your emails and click on your links and use your promo codes.
If you don’t already have a mailing list, take this time to build one. You can start by creating a lead magnet, which can be a resource you give away for free in return for people joining your list. Here is the longer answer to the question “does your business really need a newsletter?” just in case.
5. Rethink your social media strategy
I’m not saying you should exclude Instagram from your social media strategy. But now is a good time to take a step back and see what it’s doing for your business. Are you getting web traffic from Instagram? Are you getting leads? Are people buying your products or booking your course? Are they conversing in the comment section? If none of these things are true, you are either not on the social network where you should be , not posting what your audience wants to see or not making your offer clear enough. Let’s troubleshoot:
not the right social network for your business ➡️ how to find your audience on social media
content not resonating with audience ➡️ what to post on Instagram every day this month
offer not clear enough ➡️ 25 CTAs for every Instagram marketing goal
Open a blank document (or a pretty Canva template, why not) and write down an actual plan for your Instagram marketing. Some things you can include are your business objectives, strengths and weaknesses, the portrait of your ideal customer, your brand messaging, competitors, content pillars, content ideas and posting schedule, but no need to stop there.
While I do love a good DIY myself, sometimes it’s best to have someone who knows what they’re doing do it. Message me if you’re ready to bring your social media marketing to the next level 👇