Tech Changes to Help You Pivot Your Brand
In the past couple of weeks, teleworking has produced some massive changes. While most of us were striving to simply have the strength to put on a new set of Corona Pajamas, the tech world was hard at work creating some innovative updates to streamline and make things easier for small businesses.
ZOOM
The most notable of the bunch was definitely Zoom. Although I’ve been using the platform for a couple of years now, some of my counterparts were only introduced to the communication tool a couple of weeks ago when the world seemingly seemed to shut down face to face interaction. But with any good thing, there are always some drawbacks. As soon as millions of people started to use the platform more, hackers flocked to cause havoc and “Zoom-bomb” people’s meetings. Since then, the company quickly responded with several updates and features like virtual waiting rooms to increase security and ease people’s apprehension when using the software.
Not one to be outdone, Facebook got on it’s virtual Hoveround and quickly enabled some changes of their own. Facebook rolled out Meeting Rooms (undoubtedly as a response to rival Zoom), and Facebook Shops. They also announced a massive grant program to help small businesses and ran a ton of ads promoting Facebook groups. I think it’s safe to say that Facebook is doing whatever it can to keep you on their platform at all times. They essentially want to become the Walmart of social media platforms - where you can get anything you need all in one place.
To enhance the attraction of Facebook Shops, the company partnered with brands such as Shopify, BigCommerce, and ShipStation. You can even connect your accounts with your Instagram profile. The partnership allows users to integrate their online stores from platforms they may have already created. It also increases the trust factor of conducting financial transactions on the platform because it is utilizing other platforms in which people are already familiar.
Down the street is Facebook’s little sister Instagram. They have updated the app and maximized some of the features available in Stories. Instagram included the ‘Support Small Business’ stickers, as well as a feature that allows users to purchase gift cards. They have also launched Instagram Shops that integrate with Facebook Shops. This feature is different from shoppable product tags, which drive shoppers off the platform to purchase. The Shops app allows an added convenience for businesses and consumers; allowing consumers to shop and purchase all in one place.
For those who are advocates of using video, Instagram also updated its features to provide users with the ability to save their IG Lives. Previously the platform didn’t have a feature that saved the livestreams, so content in this form immediately disappeared after 24 hours. Now, with the new update you can save the IGTV and download it to share elsewhere.
LinkedIn is arguably one of the most underutilized platforms for small business owners. Although the company has trillions of users, a very small number of people are active on their LinkedIn profiles. For those who actively use the platform, one of the advantages is access to new features on the platform. The online networking platform recently announced the rollout of two new tools that may provide liquid gold for small business owners and online marketers.
The addition of the 'Polls' feature allows users to connect deeper with their audience and gain powerful insight to shape their business goals. They have also introduced 'Presentation Mode' for Hashtags, which provides a way to filter through content that is relevant to users’ business or industry. For those that are in the midst of building their business and need a way to gain data and insights, this is a great tool to implement.
CONCLUSION
It’s safe to say that things are getting pretty competitive on social media platforms. As people are figuring out ways to get creative with engagement and interaction, the tech world is fast at work building responsive solutions to suit our new lifestyle.
Which one of these new developments excites you the most? Which tool do you think will help grow your business the most?