Today’s episode is for small business owners who don’t want to be hyper reliant on social media, and who are looking for calmer, more confident ways to market their business. (Hint: it’s email marketing…)

So Facebook went down. Again. There have been a few incidents recently. And personally there’s a sigh of relief. I like an excuse to put my phone down and connect with the present moment and what’s in front of me!

But it’s also a bit discombobulating, especially if you’re a business owner in a sales period.

First, I want to say that I am not one for scaremongering. Facebook – and Instagram, same family – are sticking around. They’re unlikely to disappear at the drop of a hat. Like all technology, they are constantly innovating, and sometimes that means down time. It’s part of the process.

However, it’s a good reminder, especially at this time of year, to have some contingency plans. Things can change. Servers can go down. And while it’s unlikely to be over Black Friday weekend (they rely on advertisers too much to risk that), as a business owner, we want some other options.

Here’s the big contingency plan: email marketing.

I am a huge fan of email marketing, as I’ve shared before on this podcast. And one of the reasons is exactly this: you have way more control over it than social media. Even if you use Flodesk and Flodesk goes down, you can grab your list and use it through another platform.

And you’re not so reliant on algorithms, either.

So I like email for the ownership element, but I also like it because it converts.

It really, really helps your customers to sit and actually place the order. Which, at Christmas, is highly, highly effective!

Yes, that conversion is boosted by seeing your product on social media. But the emails are the catalyst.

Email marketing is more intimate, more likely to convert, and builds loyal, repeat customers.

The dream!

What to do if you’re slightly freaking out and short on time

If you have an email list (even if it’s only small), but haven’t been great at sending emails out – schedule a few over Christmas. Send one out this week and see what happens. Reintroduce yourself.

If you have a very small list, or no list at all, start building it. Create a download or offer that customers need to sign up to receive, and start collecting those email addresses. Add a sign up box at checkout so that you’re collecting email address of customers who are buying already – that’s the low-hanging fruit.

The best time to build an email list? Five years ago. The second best time? Now.

Resources:

• Let me guide you through key Christmas marketing content, including email templates, social media posts, and more. My Christmas Marketing Ramp Up sessions are recorded and available at half the original price. Jump in here.
• Download my free email subject lines cheat sheet, specifically for product-based business owners
• Re-engage an old email list with this blog post (includes exactly what to put in your emails!)
• Send out three powerful emails this Christmas – even if that’s all you do

And if you’re feeling all adrift, book a strategy session with me in October to contingency plan, get support with your content, and get organised.

I hope that the best thing to happen when Facebook goes down is that you put your phone down, put the kettle on, and just do whatever it does that makes your heart sing.