We are living in a time where people are struggling financially. The pandemic has hit many people hard when it comes to the way that they make a living.
You may have noticed both the rise and fall of many small businesses.
When you have to feed your family, sometimes you have to be creative. Branching out and starting a small business or side hustle is a way to survive.
I’m sure you’ve seen the slogans “Shop Small” or “Support Small Businesses”. And you may think that the only way to support a small business is to buy their products.
But what if you don’t have the money, or you don’t like chocolate covered strawberries, or use body butter, or wear those super cute false lashes?
While buying from a small business shows the ultimate support. There are ways that you can support a small business without spending a dime.
Note: This page contains affiliate links, which means that if you buy something using one of the links below, I may earn a commission.
1 – Be Supportive
If you know someone who has started a small business, start with basic positive moral support. Most small business owners have no idea what they are doing.
They are starting with a dream or idea and struggling in the background to make their dream business a reality. When attempting to do something this monumental moral support goes a long way.
It doesn’t matter if you understand the business or if this is the 5th business that they have tried because all the others failed. Recognize that failure is apart of the process and give them the support that they need to move forward until they hit their sweet spot.
Believe it or not, most entrepreneurs start businesses and receive no support from their family and friends. I’ve participated in forums and groups where bloggers, YouTubers, online store owners, and social media influencers gather to share their wins and losses with complete strangers because they get no support from friends and family.
Sounds crazy, right?
Remember, kind words and moral support go a long way.
2 – Engage On Social Media
You might think of social media is pure entertainment, but to a small business owner, it is the lifeline to finding their customers.
For those small businesses that are just starting out and do not have marketing budgets, social media is a way to advertise their products and services for free.
Engaging with a small business’s social media content is one of the best ways to show your support next to actually buying from them. If now you’re wondering, “What exactly is engaging?”
OMG… I’m so happy you asked that question!
What is Engaging on Social Media?
Engaging on social media is simply taking an action. On platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter it’s things like liking, sharing, or commenting on a post. On Pinterest, it’s things like saving a pin to your boards or leaving a comment on a pin.
If you’re on YouTube, you can engage by liking a video and leaving a comment.
Any of the available actions you can do to interact with content on social media is considered engagement.
Small Business TikTok
I know you’re heard of TikTok but you might think it’s just for the kids. We’ve all seen those cute and sometimes annoying TikTok dances…lol
Let me introduce you to Small Business TikTok. You’ll find tons of Small Business with very unique products. You will really enjoy seeing the care and creativity that goes into the products and services that they provide.
Getting to small business TikTok is easy. Once on TikTok search for #smallbusinesstiktok and you’re there.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Angela Jasmina – angelajasminaa
Latoya Sharee – toysharee
XXL SCRUNCHIE & CO – xxl.scrunchie
Lauren Alexandria – asseenbylauren
Ardent Candle – ardentcandle
Mermaid Straw – mermaidstraw
And of course I had to join #smallbusinesstiktok
Healthy Wealthy Skinny – hwsshop
Why is Engagement so Important?
Engaging with a small business on social media is important because it tells the magic fairies in the background of all social media platforms (also known as algorithms) that the social media content is something that people like seeing.
And if the algorithms think that people like seeing certain content, they will show it to more and more people.
This means that your one like, comment, or share makes it possible for a small business to reach a larger audience. This also means that if there is no engagement, that post or content is not seen by many eyes at all.
Think about it, the goal of Facebook or Instagram is to keep you on their app. If they show you things that you might not like then that is just going to make you leave. So their algorithm picks and chooses what content to show you.
How Can You Engage?
When you come across a social media post from a small business you would be providing them valuable support by engaging with their content. A simple double-tap or like is a quick way to show your support.
Go the extra mile, leave a comment and share the post. If you don’t know what to so say, emojis are awesome.
Drop in a few ♥️ ♥️ ♥️’s or some of these 🔥 💯 👍🏾 and hit submit.
It lets the small business know that you’re there and more importantly it will help them get their content out to more people so that they can gain more customers and make more sales.
If you know or follow any YouTubers (hint hint), be sure to support them by engaging as well. Yes, YouTubers are small business owners. They have YouTube channels to entertain you, provide you with valuable information, and guide you to their main business.
The YouTube algorithm loves it when you watch the majority of a video, like, and comment. Just like the other platforms, these are the signals to push that YouTuber’s video out to lots more people.
3 – Word of Mouth
Social media is great but you can also support a small business by just getting back to the basics. If you’ve tried a small business and you like their service or products then spread the word.
Share your experiences with your friends, family, and coworkers. Most people are more motivated to try a new business that is recommended by someone they know.
4 – Consume their Content
Small businesses often put out content like blog posts or YouTube videos. They do this to provide you free information that helps you know who they are as a business.
A great way to support a small business is just to consume their content. If you see a link to a video or blog post click the link. Just viewing the content that a small business puts out can put money directly into their business.
And you guessed it! If they give you links. to their social media channels visit and engage.
5 – User Their Affiliate Links
You might need a little help on this one because affiliate links aren’t common knowledge outside of the online business world. When a content creator gives you a link to a product that they are recommending that you buy in many cases they are affiliate links.
This means that if you buy the product, the content creator will get a small commission for the sale. This doesn’t cost you anything but it gives the owner of the product a sale and it makes the content creator money for referring you.
When affiliate links are present you must be notified. At the beginning of every one of my blog posts you will see the following affiliate link disclosure:
Note: This page contains affiliate links, which means that if you buy something using one of the links below, I may earn a commission.
I have a similar disclosure on all of my YouTube videos.
In many cases you’ll notice that affiliate links take you to well known places that you currently shop like Amazon. This is because you are more likly to purchase from a location that you know and trust.
And the really cool thing about Amazon is if you use a content creator’s affiliate link, you can purchase anything you want from Amazon and the content creator will get a commission. For example, if I send you a link to my favorite coffee maker (this is an affiliate link), and you then decide to buy an Amazon Fire Stick instead. I would still get a commission.
This means that you can support a small business by buying the products that they recommend or by buying something that you were already going to buy… just by using their affiliate links.
6 – Provide Feedback
Feedback is a valuable commodity to any small business. Remember that I mentioned earlier that most small business owners have no idea if what they are doing is right.
Feedback let’s us know if you like our services, products, packaging, and even customer service. This type of information helps us improve and give you and future customers the best experience when utilizing our business.
There are a couple of ways that you can provide feedback. And this means both positive and negative feedback.
Leave a Review
Most online stores provide a way for you to leave a review on their websites. Bloggers also have a section at the end of their posts where you can leave comments.
This is a prime place for you to leave feedback and suggestions. Your review will help both the small business owner and future customers that have questions about products.
It also helps others know that people are actually buying from the business. Sometimes people are hesitant to buy from an unknown small business and positive reviews help to alleviate this anxiety.
Email the Business
If you have feedback that you’d rather not share with the world then send the business an email. They should have an email address or contact form listed on their website.
Small business owners are starving for feedback. They want to hear your opinions and suggestions.
Are You Ready to Support a Small Business?
So there you have it! Those are 6 ways that you can support a small business without spending any money at all. It just takes a little bit of your time and kindness to show your support.
And if you have the money to spend then of course buy some stuff! 🤣
We love you and appreciate you. ❤️
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