The internet is full of Social Media News. Every month we try to choose the articles that will actually matter to our community and share them in a quick bite-size pieces. You have enough on your plate. Let’s make this easier for you.
This month? Social media companies (and Google!) are ALL about helping small businesses thrive. It seems new tools and capabilities are popping up all over the place.
Here are three stories that caught our attention.
Small Business Retailers Can Use Social Media Platforms to Sell Your Products
Facebook debuts Facebook Shops - an opportunity to sell your products, aligning with your current e-commerce platforms directly from Facebook and Instagram. Their goal? “to help small businesses adapt and make it easier for people to discover and shop for things they love”.
- Listen: “Is it free or fee?” this Social Media Examiner podcast answers this and some of the nitty-gritty questions.
- Also, in the US, you can enable “Facebook Checkout” which means people can pay rather than using another e-commerce site. Watch this space.
Coming Soon to Instagram: Organise your Instagram Grid photos using ‘Instagram Guides’ tab
It’s like Pinterest for Instagram. You can collect similar posts into groups so your followers can find them easier. For example, are you a garden coach? Collect all of your Autumn tips and tricks in one place, client image in another, and team photos on another - without messing up your grid!
This is currently set up for wellness companies - but will be available on a broader basis soon.
Google is here to help small businesses with a directory of tools and resources
This isn’t directly social media news, but helpful for many of you. Google created a single destination for tools you can use to boost your small business game through COVID-19 and the aftermath. It’s not fancy but it’s helpful and Social Media Today breaks it down here.
Instagram: Support Small Business Stickers
If you dropped into Instagram stories in the last month, you probably already saw this. #sopopular However, think about creative ways your small business can take advantage of it. Ideas? Tag 5 other small businesses you love. Be sure to reach out and thank people who If tag you. They are not asking for recognition, but a little thanks can go a long way with brand loyalty!
(If you’re not sure how to use it yourself, here’s a handy tip from Later.)
Also, hot tip: don’t sleep on Pinterest.
It’s not just for our crafty mothers and DIY friends — it could be a good resource for you as a small business. If this intrigues you, here’s some of their latest updates.
See something new out in the ‘social media wild’ that confuses or intrigues you? Shoot it in the comments or slide into our DM’s with a question and we’ll address it for you!
