There’s no question that the impact of the pandemic has been disproportionately hard on small businesses. Seat-of-the-pants creativity and innovation helped drive these businesses forward even in the darkest times of an unpredictable market. Leveraging that same drive to maximize efficiency and serve customers where they are is going to power business ahead in 2021 and beyond.
The speeding up of digital trends that were already underway before the pandemic advanced years' worth of consumer behavior in a matter of months. In a survey we conducted with Deloitte looking at how small businesses have changed their digital strategies since the COVID-19 pandemic began, four out of five owners said they expect to increase their use of digital tools going forward. Sure, after polishing their websites, getting creative with social content, embracing new e-commerce options, and rolling out online ordering or curbside pickup, some businesses might revert to what was once ‘business as usual’ as we move deeper into the new normal of 2021. Don’t be that business. Instead, be the business that is permanently augmented for the better.
And it’s not just about digital. In Columbus, Ohio, gluten-free bakery owners Wendy and Letha Pugh say the pandemic prompted them to change the way they’re structuring their business on a sustained basis. They’ve increased wine offerings and other selections at Bake Me Happy to create a bodega-like feel for their shop, and they say they’re leaning even more heavily into engaging on social media as people have increased their screen time (a trend we expect to stick around). You may not realize it, but our daily lives have gotten so much easier because of automation. Just think about how Netflix helps you find shows and movies, or how an app on your phone can help you control various ‘smart devices’ in your home. This convenience we find in our daily lives can and should be applied to your business too. The science of artificial intelligence and machine learning has advanced so much that new things are possible for small business operations — and it's all behind the scenes. Automation takes the guesswork out of creating effective ads, for example. You can answer a few simple questions about your business and your goals, and easily spin up a customized marketing plan to take your reach and revenue to the next level.
A software developer by trade, Culture Greetings owner Dionne Mahatma noticed a lack of representation in the greeting card industry and helped fill the gap with a greeting card line featuring imagery centered around and elevating Black and Latinx community voices. She automates reminders to customers via Messenger of important holidays and moments in time like birthdays or anniversaries. So far this year, she says sales are tracking to increase more than 150 percent.
These types of automation tools can also apply to your ad creative online. Have you ever watched your kids create a video in nothing flat on their smartphone? You can be a creative wizard tool with options like Dynamic Creative Ads that simply require you to upload the basic components of an ad, and then automation does the hard work for you. Whether you are an extrovert or an introvert, your own story is literally the story of your business. Frees branching Candle Co., also known as FB Candle, is an award-winning artisanal candle company owned by three outgoing young brothers who are the face of the brand. In San Francisco, drag Kalejiban of Henry’s House of Coffee uses social media to tell the story of his family’s roots in coffee roasting. In the photos that populate his feed, you can practically smell the beans, which he sells to a growing international customer base.
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