In this episode of BTW with BTM, we discussed the impacts of widespread Facebook outages on a brand. These types of outages impact both small business and brands with a global presence. Take a few minutes to listen as we talk through what this outage means for marketers.
Facebook’s Massive Outage: What Happened?
On October 4, 2021, Facebook and a number of its main properties — Instagram, WhatsApp Messenger, and Oculus — experienced an outage in which services were down for six to seven hours. Countless businesses and individuals use Facebook properties like WhatsApp for their primary person-to-person messaging and telecommunications, which is only one example of how widely impactful this outage was. In what was likely Facebook’s biggest outage since 2008, we’re learning just how much we rely on big tech in our day-to-day lives, and the issues that doing so can create.
What Does This Outage Mean for Marketers?
While it may not be the major source for referral inbound traffic, Facebook is still a significant authority for traffic and ad revenue. After an outage in 2019, it was estimated Facebook lost $90 million a day in ad revenue. In situations like these, nobody wins and everybody loses — businesses aren’t getting to advertise on the platform and Facebook is losing money as a result. With that said, the primary takeaway in outages like this one is to avoid putting all of your eggs in one basket. While we can’t avoid the occasional breakdown, we can take steps to avoid being at the center of the impact.
How Can I Protect Myself From Future Outages?
Before the next inevitable outage, the best way to protect your business is by diversifying yourself, personally and professionally. To explain this further, many applications will allow you to sign up for an account on its platform using your Facebook account. Doing so gives the application access to your selected service provider — Facebook, in this scenario — and ties your account to it. So, when Facebook experiences an outage, you lose access to the platform you used Facebook to sign up for.
As a personal Facebook user, simply consider using a direct login for accounts you create. On the business side, try making the option for a direct sign-up more prominent on your site. When you convince people to use their email, design a username, and create a password for your application, you’re able to better capture them as a customer.
On the other hand, from the ads perspective, outages like this can remind you to consider whether or not you are approaching advertising in an integrated way. Instead of putting all of your advertising spend into Facebook, for example, think about how you might be able to gain revenue opportunities from a variety of different platforms. Strategies like this can both safeguard your brand for the future, and keep you prepared for future issues that may arise.
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