COVID-19 pandemic shook the whole world terribly. In the field of business and commerce, it was disastrous for all sectors and industries. While some businesses were able to survive it, there were many businesses in their nascent stage which had to shut down because of the uncertain circumstances. Those businesses which were able to survive and even thrive are those which harnessed the power of social media and utilized it reach-ability. In a way, for some businesses social media has proved to be a lifeline to their customers during COVID-19. With social media, they were not able to keep the real-time dialogue alive, but also introduced innovative ways to keep their customers engaged. With these digital activities, they were not only able to retain their customer base, but also expand it. For new businesses and small scale businesses, social media has provided a platform for the customers to feel understood and valued. This is an opportunity for them to launch a new business idea and to create an additional revenue stream.
In this blog we have discussed ten approaches that can help small businesses survive, sustain, and grow amid COVID-19. Social media is the base for successful implementation of these approaches. Let’s take a look at how social media platforms can help small businesses amid CORONA.
1. Facebook launches Shops
Amid COVID, many retailers had to shut down their physical stores. With a new feature of Shops at Facebook and Instagram, small businesses will be able to create digital storefronts for free, display and sell their products on this platform. Customers can buy products directly from Facebook or a retailer’s website. Although Facebook’s Marketplace feature allows sales but, this feature is more focused on the sales of personal belongings whereas shops is in the same league as Amazon and Etsy. Small businesses can also connect their Shopify business to Facebook because of the partnership between facebook and shopify.
2. YouTube’s video ad tool
To help small businesses for a greater reach and content variety, during COVID-19, YouTube has launched ‘Video Builder Tool’, which allows small businesses to create video content for free. You don’t have to have professional skill and budget to make these videos. These videos are integrated with the Google Ads program, which makes them visible to relevant viewers on YouTube.
3. Pinterest Shop
In order to increase business visibility and exposure during COVID, Pinterest has added a number of new products from small and medium-sized businesses of sustainable brands onto the Pinterest Shop. This will help them benefit from the increasing usage of this platform, and allow them to have a greater reach. Moreover, with ‘Verified Merchant Program’, vetted retailers can display a blue checkmark on their profile if they meet certain criteria. This will allow verified merchants to have access to a number of benefits such as increased distribution within high-intent shopping experiences, metrics like conversion reporting and customers’ average order value, and appearing in ‘related products’.
4. Facebook’s business resource hub
To support pandemic affected people, Facebook has launched the ‘Business Resource Hub’ which provides free access to ‘resilience toolkit’. This resource has a ‘quick action guide’ to help coordinate response activities, and also holds all the information about preventing business disruptions. With the help of free templates, small businesses have another facility to communicate COVID response related messages.
5. Instagram’s stickers for small businesses
Instagram has launched a new feature to help small businesses make sales. Merchants can use stickers for gift card, food orders, and fundraisers on the profile or in Stories. This allows consumers to support a small or local business by ordering take-out, redeem-later purchases, and making direct donations. A tap on stickers will take customers to the website where they can complete their order. If customers want to show support to local or small businesses in their area, they can share the sticker on their stories.
6. Respond to the changing environment
As the whole world experienced a state of curfew, most of the population was made to stay at home, and was discouraged to leave their premises unnecessarily. Businesses had to adjust their services as per new requirements, so that they can keep their customers engaged without having them to leave their homes. A practical implementation of this can be seen in offering convenient virtual shopping using internet or phone services. Other than being able to sustain their business, they can send out a message loud and clear that ‘contact-free’ services aim at caring the well-being of their customers.
Small businesses can promote their new offerings with the help of paid and organic social media posts. While paid advertisement campaign on Facebook and Instagram targets the ideal client of a business with precision, small businesses can find it beyond their budget. With the availability of hashtag trends, mentions, polls, and other such features, small businesses can gain greater traffic and visibility. You can keep your Facebook advertisements focused on people who have visited your website in the past by referring to Facebook pixel installed in your website.
7. Devise advertisement strategy around pandemic related challenges
In critical times like these, it is important for all businesses, and especially small businesses, to craft their advertising campaigns around how their products or services can benefit people during pandemic. The Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report conducted a survey of 12,000 people and found that around 84% of respondents wanted a brand advertisement to focus on how businesses can help people cope with pandemic-related life challenges. With the help of information blogs, special services, giving free masks, and other such strategies, a business can extend its support towards customers. Instead of being focused on hard selling, show your customers how your products and services can help them get through crucial times like pandemic.
8. Don’t let people forget you while your business is in hibernation
If you deal in business which cannot remain functional during the pandemic, and which cannot be made accessible to people by home deliveries; you have to devise a way where you can remain visible to your audience. It is only stating the obvious that a business exists only till the time it is remembered or seen. Once people forget your brand, this is the end of your business or brand. It is highly recommended to increase your social media activities to engage, entertain and to help customers while they are in pandemic-lock-down. By creating informative, fun, and helpful content you can only remain visible to your audience, but you can also strengthen your customer relations by showing them how to get by at home during pandemic. Based on your business niche, cafes and restaurants can create content about recipes, gyms can send tips for home workout, beauticians can guide about home treatments, and so on. This type of content is relevant to your business, provides value to a customer’s life, and allows you to remain visible while send out a message that your customer’s care is your ultimate priority even in critical times like pandemic.
9. Engage with online activities
The biggest advantage of social media is that small businesses can engage their audience with a number of activities. By initiating a trend to share a photo or video about a particular activity, you can not only make your customer’s period of lockdown fun and busy, but can also give customer relations a whole new dimension. Giving them a workout challenge, recipe challenge using a particular product, and other such activities will keep their creativity stimulated while garnering bigger appreciation, and keeping themselves engaged.
10. Be prepared for your re-launch ready
Just like the pandemic lockdown was abrupt, the restrictions will be eased out quickly as soon as the circumstances are in control. So, if you have been shut down for a while, utilize the potential of social media to plan your re-launch once the world reopens without the requirement of social distancing, using sanitizers every 15 minutes, and wearing masks. So, it is important to be ready and be agile. Keep your relaunch strategy ready, and utilize social media to put the word out there, dropping hints and clues. Once the government gives a go-ahead, implement that strategy.
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