Have you ever experienced Instagram glitches? You know, those frustrating moments when certain features disappear or posts go weird after an update? When you spend ages working on a reel only for the text to appear in the wrong place, I even saw with someone I follow that for about a month their posts were upside down! It all seems to depend on where you are in the world and what type of phone you have. I’m still using an Android phone at the moment which does seem to take longer for updates to roll out, I think I waited 3 months for reel scheduling!
Over the last 12 months I have seen lots of weird and wonderful glitches which although some can be funny are often very frustrating and can really have an impact on your account and therefore your business. Let’s not even mention hacking which can mean you lose access to your account altogether!
If you lost your instagram account tomorrow would your business survive?
If you are solely relying on Instagram to run your business and making sales through your DMS, you are essentially relying on someone else to look after your business. And this person (whose Instagram in case you weren’t sure) has the power to take your business away.
Don’t worry I have 3 great solutions to help you protect your business should anything like this happen.
How to protect your business if Instagram is gone tomorrow!
Solution 1 – Promote your business on more than one social media platform
If you’re only using Instagram to promote your business, it’s time to consider expanding to other platforms. Not only does this help safeguard your business, but it also allows you to reach new audiences who may not be on Instagram.
And the good news is, you don’t have to create entirely new content for each platform. For instance, you can repurpose your Instagram reels on TikTok, Pinterest, or YouTube. You can also share your photos on Facebook or LinkedIn, or even turn your carousel posts into Pinterest pins or blog posts. It’s all about adapting your existing Instagram content for different platforms, so it’s not as time-consuming as you might think.
If you are interested in learning more about Pinterest I have another blog “Unlock the Power of Pinterest” which delves into more about why Pinterest is a great platform for marketing your business online.
However, it’s important to note that while having a presence on multiple social media platforms is great, these platforms are still owned by others and could be taken away, just like Instagram. So, I highly recommend the next two suggestions to make your business Instagram glitch-proof.
Solution 2 – Start using email marketing
The best way to protect your business is to have a way of contacting your audience outside of social media, and the number one option for that is email marketing. When you have an email list, you own that list, and as long as people have opted in to receive emails from you, you can contact them whenever you want, unless they unsubscribe or you remove them.
With email marketing, you also have the ability to put people into different groups and send targeted emails to them. This means you have the freedom to communicate with your audience on your terms and have control over the content you share and the frequency of the emails they receive. This personalised approach also means that email is a more effective way of making sales than social media, in fact, its 4x more effective!
You can get started with email marketing for free, Mailerlite, which is what I use, is free for your first 1000 subscribers. So there is really no reason to not protect your business and set up email marketing today.
Solution 3 – Create your own website
The final solution, and the one with the most significant investment of time, effort and cost, is to have your own website. I recommend a self-hosted website like WordPress, where you have full ownership and control, rather than using platforms like Wix, who technically will still own your website.
Having your own website is the equivalent of your digital home on the internet. It is the place you are in full control of what content and information you want to share with people to learn about your business. A website gives you the freedom to create a unique online presence that truly reflects your brand and business values.
Once your business has a website you then have not only a presence on Google to show up in search results but a place to direct your social media traffic. Having your own website provides you and your business with a sense of security and independence.
If you are interested in future-proofing your business and want to find out more about marketing your business outside of Instagram book a FREE 15-minute discovery call and together we can make a plan to ensure your business is Instagram glitch-proof.
Have a great day
Nicola – New Wisdom Design and Digital
