COVID-19 hit us all like a powerful left hook from Mike Tyson or Manny Pacquiao and left us all disoriented, not knowing what to do. If you ask many business owners, they would prefer stepping inside the ring and sparring with both boxing legends than going through this pandemic once again.
This global health crisis took a lot from us. We lost lives and livelihood because of it. It has affected industries left and right. Professionals found themselves fearing for their jobs. Mortgage lenders and banks, small neighborhood businesses, and factories—no one was safe.
As a safeguard, a lot of people became entrepreneurs and started their own home-based businesses to help their families survive until the pandemic is over.
Perhaps you know someone close to you who’s in the same situation. But as much as you would want to support them continually by buying their wares, you’re also trying to minimize your spending while things haven’t gotten back to normal yet.
You can still show your support for them without spending any money. Here are a few ways that you can do that.
How You Can Help Your Friend’s Business Without Spending Any Money
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Like their post.
A lot of people post sales posts on both Facebook and Instagram. Businesses do it, and so do individuals. Likes on Facebook and hearts on Instagram can help boost posts and keep them visible in other people’s news feeds. Go ahead and give your pal’s post a boost and like all of their posts to give them greater visibility online.
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Share their post.
Besides liking or reacting to posts, you can help give your friend a wider coverage by introducing their products to your own personal network. At the very least, you are adding hundreds of potential sales to their business, depending on how many people are on your friends’ list. Share their posts so that the people in your network are aware of your friend’s business and products.
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Say something nice in the comments.
Put in a good word for your friend in the comments section of their post. A lot of folks use the comments section to decide the legitimacy of the seller and the quality of the product. If you’ve already bought the product from them before, tell people about how good it is. This leaves both the seller and potential buyers encouraged.
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Comment an emoji or GIF.
Perhaps you’re busy or in the middle of something significant that you don’t have time to type out something nice to say about your friend or the product they are selling. It’s okay. You can always use emojis or GIFs. They’re equally effective and more fun and engaging. But whether you decide to write down a nice comment or leave an emoji or GIF, your pal will surely appreciate the support.
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Tag some of your other friends in the post.
Tagging people in the original post’s comment section or your shared post somehow works as a more focused marketing strategy. If you know specific people who are into your friend’s product or might be interested in them, tag them in the comments section. You can even send a message their way after tagging them and tell them about the product in greater detail.
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Give them a shoutout.
Social media plugs and shoutouts are great ways of helping bring business to people. Other than liking, commenting, and sharing, giving your friend a timely shout out in your posts or vlogs can help get the word out there about their products and services.
If you’re already at the influencer level with your social media accounts, there’s no better way to use your influence and clout than to help a friend in need. Even if you only have a few followers online, someone from your network can become a customer and help make a sale for your loved one’s business.
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Leave a review.
A lot of online shoppers base their decision on whether or not to pull the trigger on a purchase by reading customer reviews and ratings. Feel free to leave a positive review on your friend’s post to help them generate more sales. Just be sure not to exaggerate your review. Consumers are smart enough to know which reviews are real and which ones are fabricated.
While the pandemic looms over our heads, we need to help one another as much as we can. Showing our loved ones that we’re supporting them in our own little way is enough to encourage them and keep them going.
