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With more and more businesses turning to digital means to keep their business operations afloat amidst the pandemic, small businesses are no exception. The loss of foot traffic and brick and mortar or in-person commerce has left small businesses no choice but to turn online to reach out to their customers.
Luckily, social platforms are introducing features that are extremely beneficial to small businesses as they navigate through the pandemic. This is really helpful as small businesses have limited marketing budgets even before the pandemic and this would help provide them with some inexpensive and accessible solutions as they turn digital.
Here’s what some of the biggest names on social media are doing for the small businesses so far:
As a direct answer from small businesses shutting down their brick and mortar stores, Facebook has launched Shops which allows businesses to directly sell their products on the platform. One of its features allows businesses to create digital storefronts free of charge, which customers can buy directly through Facebook or their website if they have any. As Facebook is tied with Instagram, this feature would also appear there, letting users discover Shops via ads or stories.
While Facebook already has Marketplace, a hub for selling personal belongings, Shops is the counterpart but for businesses which gives the owners the power to compete with established retail stores such as Amazon. Also, Facebook has partnered with eight third-party shopping platforms including Shopify which allows merchants to connect their Shopify business to Facebook.
YouTube
As creating video ads often requires a lot of budget and skills to shoot and create, thanks to YouTube’s Video Builder Tool, small businesses are allowed to create video content for free. Being in the making for months already, its release was accelerated in light of the pandemic when tools such as this are invaluable. What it does is it animates static assets from texts, to logos, and images, with music from YouTube’s library. The videos can be either six or 15 seconds in length and can be shared via YouTube and used in a YouTube ad campaign. Its biggest benefit is its integration with the Google Ads program which can help it be shown to relevant viewers.
Instagram launched its stickers that users can share in their profile or stories. Even though stores cannot be visited in person, businesses can still be supported through take-out, gift card promotions, and even donations. Once tapped, the stickers bring the customers to a website whether they can either complete their order or make a donation. This brings awareness for small businesses and gives them more opportunities to earn amidst the pandemic.
The popular image and video idea board Pinterest has also noted an increase in searches for supporting small businesses since the pandemic. Together with this was the increase in searches for eco friendly living and zero waste products which has prompted Pinterest to add new products from sustainable brands into the Pinterest Shop on Earth Day on April 22. Their goal was to bring awareness and exposure to growing businesses at a time where there is also a budding interest in the shopping platform. In addition, it introduced a Verified Merchant Program in late March that allows retailers to display a blue checkmark on their profiles that makes them eligible for increased distribution via dynamic retargeting and insights to produce organic and paid conversions.
These are just some of the efforts big social media sites are doing to better aid business owners at an uncertain time brought about by the pandemic. This gives them a great opportunity to grow their awareness and build on new opportunities online. If these interest you for your business, don’t hesitate to reach out and see what is possible by partnering with an expert in digital marketing like iRepublic. Drop us a message to learn more!
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