Why Digital Transformation is a Necessity for Small Businesses

Too often for small businesses, a lack of resources, not having a consistent branded website or having the wrong ecommerce strategy in place can be detrimental to success — but with the right know-how and access to digital tools, these small businesses have an opportunity to set themselves up for a brighter digital future.

For the second year in a row, Facebook and The Drum’s Marketers Can Change the World series has returned to help small businesses, also known as SMBs, across the globe go digital. In season two, you’ll meet Jim Little of the 100-year-old Caurnie Soaperie in Kirkintilloch, Scotland and Alice Liu of Grand Tea and Imports in Chinatown, New York. These two SMBs work on future-proofing their businesses by getting comfortable with a variety of tools, from Facebook Shops and Facebook Business Suite to search engine optimization tactics and ensuring the right content and social strategy are in place.

Ongoing digital transformation holds the promise of improving productivity and bringing important changes and lasting implications for small businesses, but they need the right tools and resources readily available to them to open a whole new world of opportunity.

From decisions to proposals and strategies, in our series, both business owners learn how to set up the right ecommerce strategy and how tools like Facebook Ads, Instagram and video can support SMBs on their path to a digital future. Here are a few learnings from Caurnie Soaperie and Grand Tea and Imports as they embrace digital tools:

• Promotion is critical. Whether that’s boosting a post — one of the easiest ways to get more people to see and engage with a business’ Facebook page — or promoting a call-to-action button to get people to "send a message" or "shop now," there are several ways to promote a business and drive traffic to a website, ultimately getting in front of more customers and prospects.
• It’s incredibly crucial for SMBs to manage their online presence especially across Facebook and Instagram, to bring their brand to life by establishing a consistent look and feel. Businesses can streamline their posts using creative templates and Facebook Business Suite to post across platforms all at once for consistent branding. Plus, it saves them time so they can connect with their customers faster.
• Using Instagram Stories and the polls feature to receive real-time feedback ensures that businesses are posting engaging, relevant content that their customers want to see. And in return, it helps businesses grow an engaged and invested community.
• Resources like Blueprint — a skills and training program that lets people and businesses reach their goals with Facebook, Instagram and Messenger — offer invaluable ecommerce and digital tools to help future-proof businesses.

As these SMBs embarked on their digital journey, they learned a few key takeaways along the way:

Stay true to yourself, your company and your brand. Consumers know when a brand is being authentic.

• Ensure your value proposition communicates your unique selling points.
• Consider dropping behind-the-scenes sneak peeks and snapshots of what your typical day looks like. People love getting to know the people behind the business.

Use care when developing your brand look and messaging, and then stay consistent. This helps consumers recognize and understand your brand, your values and your purpose.

• Create content that will resonate with your audience to help improve your SEO.
• Investing in high-quality product photography can help boost your ecommerce success.
• Be consistent across all of your social media accounts, your website and product design.

Leverage social media platforms and channels, so consumers know where to engage and interact with your brand.

• Don't be afraid to tell your story through your products. This allows people to feel a greater sense of connection to the purchases they make from you!
• Streamline customer service as much as possible by implementing an integrated solution across your digital presence.
• Make the most out of digital advertising tools like Instagram ad and commerce tools like Facebook Shops.
• Explore PR opportunities. Even small amounts of PR can help get your business in front of new customers.