Small Businesses Navigate Meta Platforms Outage
Businesses that rely on social media platforms for advertising, client communication, or direct sales felt the impact of Tuesday’s Meta platforms outage more than just a minor inconvenience.
Experts emphasize the importance of having contingency plans in place, like an email database, to ensure business continuity during outages, whether they be on social media or other software platforms we’ve come to rely on.
Cheyenne Smith, founder of Dakota Ridge, an e-commerce company selling children’s shoes, shared how the outage affected her sales. While she couldn’t quantify the exact loss, she noted a complete halt in sales to her e-commerce site during the outage. Despite this setback, she remains committed to Meta’s platforms as they drive more sales compared to other social media sites.
Small business consultant Ramon Ray urged business owners to diversify their communication channels and collect customer email addresses to avoid relying solely on one platform. Laura Levitan, owner of Mod L Photography, experienced disruptions in her client correspondence during the outage but leveraged her email list and website to stay connected with clients.
As businesses continue to navigate the digital landscape, CEO David Lewis emphasized the need to accept outages as a reality and appreciate the relative infrequency of such disruptions. The key takeaway for small businesses is to be prepared and adaptable in the face of technological challenges.