For many of us, Social Media has become ubiquitous: we couldn’t imagine a day without Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube. For many companies, Social Media is at the core of their strategies. But what if the plug was pulled? What if the government, or a technical disaster, caused a shutdown that lasted a week – or three? Or what if whole segments of society decided to completely unplug? (There is a movement towards this.)
Even though internet penetration and Social Media adoption is past the tipping point, it is terribly fragile, with many dependencies required to keep it alive. What can you do to protect yourself, if the plug were pulled unexpectedly?
- Export your contacts from as many Social Media sites as you can, as a back-up. If you’re not sure how, search for ‘Export’ from help.
- Extract any valuable content – answers, thoughtful discussion posts, pictures, etc. – again as back-up.
- If you advertise, don’t just drive users to a website, but include information and a telephone call-to-action.
- Formulate a disaster plan for your office (and family), in case all communication is cut-off unexpectedly.
This week’s action plan: Do a disaster-plan dry run, by not accessing any Social Media for 72 hours. Like all “necessary” activities, it may be hard to give up, but you’ll find a way to cope. When the three days are up, embed what you learn into your current routines and disaster plans.
Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.RandallCraig.com to register.
Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.ptadvisors.com
