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3 Tips for Small Businesses on the Road to Recovery
We know the pandemic has had a damaging effect on many small businesses over the past year, however some small businesses have found new ways to thrive by pivoting in new directions, and finding new customers.
Here are three tips for small business growth during these uncertain economic times:
1. Get connected with customers in an online community
Everything from events to social gatherings to shopping has moved online – and so have your most loyal customers. Creating an exclusive online group can be a great way to deliver a distinctive experience for them. La’Asia Johnson of Flint, Michigan, owner of Elle Jae Essentials, which creates and sells all natural skin care products, had to close her brick and mortar business during the pandemic and saw revenue drop by 70%. To avoid shutting down completely, she invested in ways to engage with her most loyal customers through a private Facebook Group called “The Garden.” La’Asia connects directly with them to brainstorm business ideas and help identify what products they’re most interested in. She credits The Garden for helping her drive online sales and weather the storm while her doors were closed. During the holiday season, she tapped into the community – and customized virtual events through Facebook and Instagram – to launch her newest line of soy wax candles.
2. Provide continuity across digital channels
This year, we can expect the trend of digital shopping to continue to increase. Knowing this, provide continuity across your various channels — ensuring shoppers who come to your website, Facebook page or other social channels are receiving the same information and messages to avoid confusion and increase sales. Small businesses can use tools to “cross-post” across platforms to increase reach without more work.
3. Be you and share your story!
Shoppers care about the people behind the brand, so be yourself and share your story. The more your customers get to know you – the real you – the more they’ll want to support you and your business. Annette Njau, founder of House of Takura, is a great example of this. Like many small businesses, cash flow became a real issue early on in the pandemic. So Annette took to Facebook and Instagram to amplify the humanity of her brand. She shifted her marketing strategy to be less about putting her crossbody bags in front of people who were struggling and more about putting her and her family’s story out there for people to see and learn from. Once she began using these platforms to communicate the authenticity of her brand, Annette saw an uptick in business – and sold out of inventory last summer.
While we know the pandemic has impacted all small businesses, it hasn’t affected all businesses equally. Our new US State of Small Business Report revealed that businesses in majority-minority neighborhoods faced poorer business outcomes, including a higher closure rate (36% versus 22%).
Facebook Elevate is a program that helps Black, Latinx & Hispanic entrepreneurs, job seekers, creators, nonprofits and community leaders learn key digital skills to grow their business, skills and career. For entrepreneurs and small businesses, this program offers digital marketing courses, virtual coaching sessions, live events, and more. Visit Facebook.com/FBElevate for a full variety of resources.
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By: Brandi Pitts - Global Head of Digital Marketing, Partnerships at Facebook |
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