From giving customers an insight into the workings of your business to reaching a wider network of potential online customers, it’s hard to understate the power of social media as a business marketing tool.

And with Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, recently announcing a suite of new tools aimed at improving how small businesses manage lead generation and customer messaging, there’s an opportunity for small business owners to take their social media to the next level.

Here’s how one small business owner has used live shopping to increase their engagement with customers, boost sales and share a more authentic picture of their business with the world.

A suite of new tools at your fingertips

But first – what can these new tools, introduced by Meta, help businesses achieve? In essence, they make it easier to drive conversations with consumers and nurture potential sales.

Changes to marketing messaging functions will now let businesses send promotional campaigns via Facebook Messenger to customers who opt in. This can help with notifying existing customers of upcoming events or sales and keeping up engagement, reducing the chance of customers dropping off a business’s radar after a sale.

A new business quote function on Instagram will also let customers obtain information sooner about your service offering. If you pop a ‘Get Quote’ button on your profile or a ‘Get Quote’ sticker in an Instagram story, you enable customers to click through to receive a quote prior to getting in touch directly. Ideally, this makes it easier for potential customers to find the information they need from you quickly and make an informed decision, and reduces the time a small business owner spends manually responding to enquiries.

There are a range of other lead generation tools being introduced as well, including updates to Lead Ads Instant Forms and improvements to customer relationship management (CRM) integration. Read more about Meta’s new tools here.

How a Sydney jeweller builds loyalty with customers

For Zoë Richardson, owner of sustainable Australian jewellery brand Zoë Alexandria Jewellery, social selling is essential for customer engagement and a strong sense of consumer loyalty.

Zoë Alexandria runs shoppable ads on social platforms, and uses tools such as Instagram Live to spruik her range of jewellery products to customers as well as share insights into the process of creating the hand-made items and share customer feedback and reviews.

“From talking about new collections and offering styling advice on Instagram Stories, to asking for customers’ opinions on designs or gemstone colour preferences through polls, to hosting Instagram Live sessions to demonstrate the manufacturing process, social selling helps me build a genuine connection and increase engagement with my audience,” she says.

She works with a marketing agency to implement her business’s ads on Facebook and Instagram, and sees huge potential to cut through the noise of the online environment and craft a meaningful message.

“The whole idea is to get customers to click through to your website and make a purchase,” she says. “But to do this via social media, you need to offer your audience more than just a product.”

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Zoe AlexandriaZoë’s advice for fellow business innovators

Zoë has more opportunities for interaction with her customer base due to her increased investment in social media. Recently, her engagement with customers on Instagram increased by almost 40 per cent in the space of one month compared to the previous 30 days.

She’s also open to taking advantage of Meta’s new tools to further develop her social media and ecommerce strategy.

“Keeping up with the constant algorithm changes can be hard, but there’s no point fighting against it,” she says. “Learn how to use new tools, such as reels and stickers, and get on with it!”

So what would Zoë’s advice be for fellow small business owners looking to get in on social selling?

“You have to take a holistic approach to social media,” she says. “The main barriers are an oversaturated market and ever-changing algorithms. Social media is not the place for hard selling, though, so be prepared to put in the groundwork to gain your audience’s trust, before the sales start to roll in.

“You can’t just run some ads and hope for the best. You need to show up on your social feeds, engage with your audience and offer quality content.”

As a result, you’ll be able to foster a deeper sense of trust and familiarity with your customers, which will hopefully pay off in the long run with business success.