As more stores close due to the COVID-19 crisis, social media platforms have slowly become an essential marketplace. Now more than ever, the survival of local businesses depends on their ability to adapt to this shift.
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as you would imagine.
Since some of these businesses are new to social media, they have a problem building exposure on the platform. Meanwhile, others are finding it challenging to connect better with their customers.
Now, Facebook, Inc. is addressing these issues.
The social media giant is rolling out new features on Facebook and Instagram to help consumers find and support local businesses. Both platforms are also receiving new tools to help companies to stay informed during this crisis.
In its announcement, the social media giant said:
“Today, we’re announcing new ways for people to support and discover small businesses, along with more tools for keeping businesses informed and connected with their customers.”
Here’s the breakdown of the announcement.
New Tools to Support Local Businesses During Pandemic
Facebook wants to help consumers show support to local businesses in the following ways.
1. “Support Small Business” Sticker on Instagram
Facebook wants to create a new tool to help people show their love for small businesses. So, the social media giant is releasing a “Support Small Business” sticker on Instagram.
That way, when people use the sticker, their story will appear in a shared Instagram Story.
2. #SupportSmallBusinesses Hashtag on Facebook
The #SupportSmallBusinesses hashtag on Facebook is another way for users to share a small business they love. Also, creators on the social media platform can use a new “in support of” tag to promote activities to their fans.
3. Find Businesses NearBy
As the name implies, the “Find Businesses Nearby” feature allows users to find essential products and services from local stores quickly. Aside from providing information about the local stores, users can message them directly, place orders, and buy products.
Other Features to Support Small Businesses
In addition to these tools, Facebook is rolling out features such as a resource center for businesses with the latest COVID-19 related information. There’s also the new COVID-19 post tags to help customers quickly identify posts that are related to the diseases.
Finally, the social media giant is upgrading its Business Inbox in Messenger to enable easy communication between business owners and their customers.
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