Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
SME owners are looking for support through social media sites like Facebook rather than by picking up the phone or joining a business network.
These social media support groups are helping business owners who are struggling to reach organisations on jammed helplines. Plus, they’re a great source of comfort to those who are having a tough time since many businesses were forced to close due to COVID-19.
It’s not a recent trend, either. Iwoca surveyed over 820 business owners pre-coronavirus, looking at their use of social media.
When asked about the best ways to connect with other businesses, respondents preferred social media over phone calls. Some 15 per cent of respondents chose it as the best method, coming third behind introducing themselves personally (25 per cent) and networking (26 per cent). As lockdown has made both of these options near enough impossible, social media support has been a blessing for entrepreneurs.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of business owners with both an online and physical presence said the feeling of being in a community of businesses had improved since they started trading.
>See also: How to get your small business online within an hour
The top five Facebook groups