Beyond Social Media

At times I’ve wondered why we haven’t had a more substantial conversation about the impact social media has had on society, specifically the family that is Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It might help us better prepare for days like today, when the entire globe is without the three platforms and after only three hours we are seeing articles getting published sporting headlines like, "When will Facebook be Back?"

I swear.

But, that headline definitively zones in on the level of dependency that exists between us as a society and our most popular social platforms. As networks of creativity, and as engines for business and our economy, we rely so heavily on Facebook and IG to function that it is very difficult to imagine life without them. And even harder still to actually work without them.

I guess ultimately it provides a great real-world example as to why it is essential to have a broad marketing plan, one that can help you reach your customers, no matter what happens in the online space. In the odd and unlikely event that we lose our internet connectivity in its entirety, we would still have telephone, print, radio and television options, as we had pre-1995. We would also still have sponsorship opportunities, email, branded swag, and events. Products, labeling, guerilla marketing campaigns involving actual experiences, and of course there will forever be billboards.

Not that I think we’re about to abandon our online existence. I don’t believe we will. We love our podcasts and memes, TikTok and Good Mythical Morning.

If anything, it’s worth using times like these as opportunities to diversify. Look at all the social media choices out there and try a few new ones - let’s broaden our communities and networks, diversify our portfolios. We just don’t want to be caught with our pants down, and I certainly want to continue making a living no matter what’s trending.