Instagram went down today for a total of 5 hours, and as a content creator/influencer and I was at peace. I will mention that I did not have any campaigns ready to launch this week and, therefore, helped to alleviate stress, but I also know this is NOT the case for many people. Let me go into why I am at peace and the FOUR takeaways for EVERY content creator.

Securing your name on all social platforms

Relying solely upon one social media platform is risky as hell, and many creators learned this today when Instagram was down for hours. I encourage securing the same handle across all platforms. You might not use them right now, but nothing is worse than having five different variations of your social handle.

I have secured @domnthecity on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube. Do I currently make videos for YouTube? No, but if I choose to in the future, it will be available to me.

Create and grow your email list

A lot of bloggers do not understand the importance of growing their email list and using it correctly. Creating an email list does not require having a website, and there are email marketing tools such as Flodesk. I pay $19 a month for Flodesk, and it is one of the best investments I have made along with my website. Flodesk has a beautiful template, exceptional ease of creating an email, and unlimited subscribers (unlike some other email marketing tools). Click here (affiliate link) to learn more.

It is crucial to leverage a free item for individuals who sign up for your email list. Readers that sign up for my email list get a free NYC Food and Attraction guide. This guide is something I spent hours creating and helpful to people who are visiting NYC or living here and looking for great food and tourist options.

In addition, to creating your email list, you must continue to grow it by:

• Providing value with your content

• A consistent cadence of sending the newsletter

• Promote it often with your readers via social channels and on your website

I recommend looking at your email list as a direct line of communication to those who engage with your content. Your email list is like a plant, and you will have to continue to nourish it!

CREATING CONTENT OUTSIDE OF INSTAGRAM

We discussed securing your name on platforms, but it is also essential to remember HOW to use these other social media platforms as drivers to your website. For example, I use Twitter to circulate evergreen blog posts based on the time of the year or the conversations happening. Pinterest is another great driver that allows you to link URLs each time you create a pin! Pinterest is a search engine and NOT social media platform. You can pin a holiday recipe that will help you gain traffic to your site year after year.

A shift I have been seeing that sparked a convo on Twitter is content creators shifting their energy away from Instagram to newsletters, websites, and membership platforms (i.e. Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee). Don’t let Instagram be your end all be all.

Create a website

I am not sure what keeps people from securing a space on the internet that is their own, but the price of a website is equivalent to several cups of coffee a month. Many options are available, such as WordPress, Squarespace (my personal preference), Wix, and more. If you are considering monetizing your blog or influence, then having a site will allow you to INCREASE your income and participate in sponsored blog posts.

I hope this blog is helpful to those who felt affected by the #InstagramBlackout. Give your readers more ways to connect with you than Instagram