Oh hey there,

It's been one of those weird weeks where things couldn't be more different among our clients. So much so that it's compelled me to sit down and write about it and I'll admit, I'm a little nervous to hit send. But I want to be more brave and bold this year, so here we go:

On the one hand, we are still unable to access a client's Instagram account in part, because I failed to put clear instructions and expectations in place, and on the other hand, we designed and built a website in two days only because of our meticulously refined systems.

It's actually kind of comical seeing it play out because I'm the one who builds these systems and even as it was unfolding, it felt a bit like a slow-motion movie scene where my subconscious is yelling "NOOOOOOOOOOO" as I let it all happen. So let's dig into what happened and what we can all learn from this whole thing.

Quick back story: We just onboarded a new retainer client and we'll be managing their marketing channels. That means we first need access to those channels. Our client isn't the most tech-friendly and we knew this so I added some guides (from the official help desks of Meta) to our onboarding in our ClickUp tasks...and that's where things went off the rails. The guides weren't up to date with what she was seeing in her app and moreover she was having difficulty finding us on Facebook so we could get into the page. Layer onto that a lost password for the new account and the password reset not working and well... it became a whole thing. I even ranted on Instagram stories about Meta's far-too-difficult user experience, to which many people seemed to resonate. Ultimately, our client was left confused, a little defeated, and all of us were frustrated.

While this scenario isn't entirely on us (looking at you Meta), I'm still taking responsibility that there are things I could've done better to potentially ease this sticky situation. In stark contrast, this week I've also been working on our first Website in a Week of the year and things couldn't be going more differently. That process is locked in, we are a well-oiled machine. Why? Because I spent so much dang time ironing out our systems. I set clear expectations for our clients. The ClickUp board looks like a Picasso masterpiece (if Picasso had a project manager). Sometimes business lessons come in the form of someone outwardly holding a mirror up to you and then other times it's your own systems that remind you of what you're capable of and where there's room for improvement.

So here are some of my reflections from "the Great Instagram Lockout of 2024":

1. Don't make assumptions. Don't make assumptions that something is clear for a client. I love the phrase "you don't know what you don't know". In this case, unclear documentation paired with a lack of tech friendliness led to a LOT of confusion, very quickly. I've known this for years, but am reminded now that we are much better at walking a client through something than a help article. We can speak their language and not burden it with unfamiliar terms or confusing how-tos. Note to self: hop on the call, make the Loom video, and create the tutorial if it means it will provide more clarity. A quick tip for speeding up the documentation process: we love using Loom or Scribe to share "How-Tos". I like a combination of video and text depending on the tech system. Then we make these videos available in ClickUp and Telegram for our clients.
2. Clearly lay out responsibilities. In hindsight, I would've been more thorough in the setup of ClickUp tasks and assignments so everyone knew what they were responsible for as it related to the admin tasks. However, because it wasn't clear who was responsible for which task, we were not able to guide the process of the account creation. I've realized in business there's really no such thing as overcommunication and it's never been more evident than in this instance. A quick tip: Before you share your client dashboard with a client, review it one last time. You may catch a missing link or missing piece of information that can avoid unnecessary headache during the onboarding process.
3. Don't stall out. We don't let these situations slow us down. While not having access to the account is frustrating, we simply moved around tasks to keep the project on track. We didn't allow the access issue to stall the project or push our timelines, we adjusted and realigned our focus. We also have consistent communication with the client so they are aware each step of the way. We do this through Telegram, but we are really excited about this platform launching early this year. Quick tip: We don't use email as our primary method for client communication, we prefer to use ClickUp for deliverable-related feedback and Telegram for in-the-moment questions and concerns. This has significantly improved our ability to put out fires quickly and efficiently.

Before I head back to wrap up this Website in a Week, I want to leave you with one last thing. Systems, when working at their best, allow you to create magic in your business. They allow for flow and ease and (for me) eliminate a lot of overwhelm. My systems both worked their magic and showed me room for improvement this week. For that, I'm really thankful because I found an area of growth which will allow me to serve our clients better.

Cheers to learning,

Callie

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