Meta shares information and tips for Small Business Week
Written by ABC AUDIO on May 9, 2022
Ever since the pandemic, small businesses have not had it easy as it caused many to close their doors while many customers became less reachable. However, during that time, many businesses also opted into the digital world to get a footing in the business sector and expand their horizons.
Small businesses throughout the city have used Facebook or some of the other services provided through its company, Meta, which has allowed them to more cheaply market themselves while branching out to potential new customers.
One of the spokespersons of Meta recently spoke about how it has contributed to economic development, even in the area of Laredo.
“I think that social media has definitely enabled and made it a little easier for people to find their intended customer … this is just showing how this is allowing small businesses to find new customers and to find a new customer base,” said Diana Doukas, the public policy manager of economic impact at Meta. “It really helps to build their own business and to create new relationships wherever they need to.”
She states that successful small businesses all around the world are those that have been able to “harness” the power of social media in efforts to be able to build their company.
One business that has employed these techniques since the pandemic began is Betty Sandoval’s Daisy Boutique, located in downtown Laredo.
“The internet medium has really helped us keep our customers knowing what we have in stock, and it also allows us to have more online sales, which during the pandemic helped keep us open,” Sandoval said.
Doukas states that the usage of social media sites for small businesses has not just helped small businesses connect more with their customers and promote what they offer, but also extend their network to potential new customers.
Doukas said that the pandemic truly exacerbated the way small businesses do business, as they saw a transition from offline to online. They noticed that their businesses could also do well by offering products on their social media pages, online or by conducting curbside pickup. All these ways ensured people knew what a business sells and the customer could get the products they want in an efficient manner.
Doukas states that during the pandemic, many small businesses did not have a digital presence. But she saw them go online to create that needed push during the troubled economic times.
“We have been very honored to have played whatever role we have played to help small businesses kind of have an equal playing field and equal footing,” Doukas said. “This is a time when small businesses are able to have a type of presence that only a larger company would have and spend marketing dollars in a very efficient way. What these platforms has allowed is to let those small businesses spend their marketing dollars in a very smart and efficient way, so they can find their intended customers.”
Doukas states that there are some tips from the company that people can use in efforts to even gain more knowledge about how to use social media to expand their customer base.
“We have a small business resource center hub, which is centrally located at the ‘business’ site that has our free market and education tools and the tips and tricks to establishing your business online,” Doukas said. “And then we actually have a small business funding portal, which was again our opportunity to use our platform to not only bring people and customers together but bring businesses to additional pieces of information, especially knowing that access to capital no matter whether pandemic or not is always one of the top challenges for small businesses continuing where they are in their life cycle.”
In the funding portal, Doukas states that companies can find what local organizations and businesses offer funds and resources for these small business entrepreneurs to continue what they are doing. She states that many companies that offer grants can also be found within the funding portal as well.
Doukas said that the business site also has a lot of information as to how businesses should use advertisements in the platform in efforts to grow. One of the main tips she provides is that people should be able to know their audience and the best ways to engage with people.
Doukas states that the platform has also developed several tools for suppliers.
“(With) the MetaVoice and Fast Track, we committed $100 million to help supplier really ease their constrains on liquidity, and so if you are a supplier, it can usually take you anywhere from 30 to 90 to 120 days to be rapid for your work by a client,” Doukas said.
“A lot of times this is just unsustainable for a small business, as you are making decisions on where you can keep the lights on, whether you can keep your employees, where you can take on a new project and grow. And so MetaVoice and Fast Track — with eligible small businesses — they can actually sell their involvement between them and a client to our third party, and we will turn the dollars around about one to two days. And then when the client is ready to pay you back, they actually pay this third party, and that money then goes to the sustainable funds where then that money can go to help the next supplier.”
Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Oculus, Messenger and other multitude of online platforms.
— to www.lmtonline.com
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