In 2020, your spending habits, your social media habits, and your social activity habits may have all faced changes. This year has required adaptation and adjusting in many ways for many people — small businesses are no exception. We know small businesses have been challenged, but many have also seen an outpouring of support from locals. As we near Small Business Saturday, we want to share some extra ways to show support for small businesses you love that do not require any money.
Here are a few ideas to share some love:
- Follow on social
- Do you follow your favorite bakery on Instagram? Or like their page on Facebook? Take some time to refresh your feeds with your favorite local spots.
- Subscribe to email newsletters
- Email newsletters often include information on sales, discounts, and special events. Make sure you are a part of the community and the first to know new information!
- Forward on emails to friends and family
- If you receive an email about a special virtual event or a sale coming up and instantly think of a friend or family member who would like it, forward along! This is often the time of year people ask for gift suggestions as well, and forwarding along an email can be helpful for both the sender and receiver.
- Like and comment on posts
- Engage with your favorite small businesses posts! Tapping ‘like’ or leaving a comment does not take you much time, but can mean a lot to the algorithm. Your engagement can help the post reach more people.
- Save posts to come back to on Instagram
- In addition to liking and commenting, on Instagram specifically, tapping ‘save’ shows Instagram you really enjoyed this content. This gives you the ability to come back to it later, forward the post to a friend, and in turn hopefully bump the post up in the feeds of their other followers.
- Write a review (Google, Facebook, etc)
- Small businesses need your reviews! If that local coffee shop you frequent any chance you get or the cute boutique down the street deserves a 5-star review, take the time to leave them one. Reviews are often crucial to others finding and trying the business.
- Share links to your favorites
- As you scroll through your social media feeds, if you see a request for a gift idea or recommendation — share! Comment a quick link or tag the business you have in mind. This is so helpful for them in reaching new audiences. A strong, personal recommendation goes a long way.
Of course, if you are in a position to purchase gifts from a small business, gift giftcards, order takeaway food, etc — please do! We wanted to share a reminder that there are many small ways to show your support that can have an impact. We like to do this for others, just as many of you show your support for us.
Tags: small business saturday, shop small