When Digital Marketing Technology Doesn’t Work Right

Technology – you can’t live without it, and sometimes it just doesn’t work as it should. We’ve all had computers crash and Internet connections die on us. So what do you do when technology doesn’t work right?

I taught a client how to share her boss’s blog posts with Sendible, and one time she emailed me, all stressed out, that the post didn’t appear on Facebook as it should have. It’s not if, it’s when you’ll have a technology problem.

So here’s what’s going on with the technology…

There are several entities involved here...

1. Your computer, its speed, and memory. Recently, that happened when we were trying to stream live. The computer’s memory was full, and the audio was choppy. We had to delete stuff and reboot.
2. Your Internet connection – whether hard-wired (plugged in directly, usually much faster) or a WiFi network.
3. Your browser. When in doubt, close the browser and restart it.
4. The third-party tool you’re using, like Sendible.
5. The platform. Whether it’s social media or a hosting platform, they do go down at times. Recently, Shopify was down, and millions of ecommerce stores could not do business. I remember when Amazon AWS went down, and major sites and platforms went down with it.
6. The social network’s API – that’s the code that makes it possible to schedule posts for the future and interact with the network
7. User error. We all make mistakes. These “oops” moments can cause major problems occasionally.
8. Weather. Believe it or not, an electrical storm nearby can mess with WiFi signals.
9. Cyberattacks. Lately, the most frequent problem is cyberattacks. Check out Bitdefender’s Live Threat Map or CheckPoint’s Cyber-Threat Map — it’ll blow your mind. We are constantly being bombarded with attacks or infections (worms and viruses). Related: WordPress Security

So here’s what you can do when technology fails you…

1. Refresh the page you’re working on, whether it’s Sendible or another 3rd-party tool, browser, or even the social network itself.
2. Try a different browser. I recommend always having at least one other web browser besides the default one on your computer. I use Chrome for business, Safari for Spanish, and Firefox for personal stuff. Make sure they are updated. Set them to auto-update.
3. If that doesn’t work, check your modem. You may have lost your Internet connection. Unplug it and plug it back in again.
4. Did you goof? We’re not perfect. We all make mistakes. Try again.
5. If you’re short on time, just post it directly into the social network, bypassing the 3rd-party tool.
6. If the problem is on the social network, try later.
7. If the problem persists, search for the issue online or on the help systems of whatever you’re using. Sometimes, if one entity is having issues, they will post it on their website. Usually, if X (formerly Twitter) is not affected, people will be posting about the issue. Funny, when there’s a problem or crisis, they still turn to X!

Also, remember that the major networks have many employees working on the site at any given time, which may affect how it functions.

What about AI Tech?

Well, they do run on computers. You know about all these data centers that are popping up everywhere. Most will have their own power source, but some work off the existing grid. Imagine if there is a power outage? ChatGPT was down not too long ago. Remember, they are just tools. What’s nice is that there are several of them. If one is down, use another.

Here are a couple of sites to check out:

• DownDetector — if you suspect one of the social networks, your Internet or cellphone service, or any other service is down, you can check here.
• Is it Down for Everyone or Just Me? If you think your website is down or a service or site that you use, you can check it here. Facebook could have shut you out for some reason. Usually, they would have sent you an email. This is a good place to check. If it’s just you, make sure your browser is updated, then close it and relaunch. If it’s not you, then it’s beyond your control.

Whatever it is, don’t stress out. Just try it later. Or maybe something’s changed, and you need a little refresher course.

Need to learn how to use the AI tools? How about evaluating your efforts?

Let’s start with a FREE 15-minute call, and I’ll review your current efforts.

Giselle Aguiar

Giselle Aguiar is a social media, inbound and content marketing strategist and trainer helping business owners learn how to leverage the power of social media marketing, increase traffic to their websites, generate leads, increase brand awareness and establish themselves as experts in their fields.

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