Businesses around the world are facing unprecedented challenges due to the outbreak of Covid-19, which has left the global economy in tatters. However, for start-ups and small-sized businesses, the consequent economic downturn is likely to have prolonged effects. To survive this catastrophe, entrepreneurs will have to rethink their business models. While the problems are still new, start-ups are re-evaluating strategies to weather the storm. One such strong weapon in their arsenal is Facebook for Business.

The current scenario demands that we strictly observe the norms of social distancing in order to curb the spread of the virus. Keeping this in mind, many entrepreneurs and small business owners are wary of opening physical stores. Going online is the way forward. However, start-ups in most of the cases are bootstrapped. Building a digital presence requires good amount of investment – something that a cash-strapped entrepreneur would struggle to arrange.

To be online, there is investment in creating a website and designing a digital ecosystem around it. This requires time and effort. Hosting the website requires additional investment as one needs a hosting server that does not crash, supporting and keeping the website flexible so that it can be updated periodically. This entire exercise can significantly eat into the measly resources that a start-up has. Even building an ecommerce solution is a different ball-game altogether for a start-up.

Hence, businesses need to come up with ways and find opportunities to build personalized and lasting relationships with their customers from a safe distance, without much investment and additional tech support. This is where Facebook comes in.

Facebook for Business has emerged as the go-to solution for start-ups and small businesses during and in a post-Covid world. The features offered make official Facebook pages work like a website – rather like a brand webpage. An official Facebook page is very easy and convenient to set up. It can be leveraged to create an effective online presence for the start-up as well as promote its products and services. Shops with catalogues can be designed and set up to sell and trade products. A business page on Facebook is an effective way for a start-up to engage with its customers.

Features of a Facebook Business Page

Here’s a roundup of the features that a Facebook business page offers:

1. Facebook Shop

Facebook Shop is a mobile-first shopping experience where start-ups can easily create an online store on Facebook.The user can click on the product to buy it.  The process for buying has been kept simple where one can link the ‘Buy now’ button to a WhatsApp chat or an existing ecommerce website. Entrepreneurs can make posts and stories shoppable with product tags for their Facebook store. When followers spot a product which they like in any of the posts and click on the tag, they are automatically taken to the checkout page to complete their purchase.

2. Facebook Catalogue

A catalogue holds all the information regarding the products that a start-up wants to sell on Facebook. The catalogue can be connected to numerous kinds of ads and sales channels to show customers the various products on offer.

3. Facebook Store Location

With Facebook Locations, start-ups can connect and manage all their shops on Facebook. This helps customers find their business faster.The location feature enables followers to find all shops managed by a start-up in one place through Facebook search or when they land on the main business page.

4. Facebook Lead Generation

This feature allows start-ups to target an audience to generate leads. The ads on Facebook allow users to fill data in the form embedded in the ad itself. This makes it easy for sellers to target customers on Facebook through audience segmentation on parameters like age, sex, location etc.

Additional features like turning-on instant reply messages can help start-ups communicate with their customers and address their queries about safety measures taken, any expected shipping delays, what and where their services are available, and set up e-commerce location with less resources.

Summing It Up

In times of social distancing, its important that start-ups do not lose out on the momentum which they had gained in pre-Covid times. To upscale themselves and stay in touch with their targeted customer base, start-up entrepreneurs need to manoeuvre a bit and look for options that need minimum financial investment. Facebook tools and resources are sure to come in handy to help small businesses transition online.