Say whatever you want about Facebook but one thing you can’t accuse them of during this time is not helping. The company has been on a massive drive to help those affected the most during the current Covid-19 pandemic. One of these has been small businesses who are currently bearing the full brunt of the various lockdown regulations imposed. And even with level 3 officially taking effect next Monday, the situation still seems dire for most local businesses.
Looking to further remedy that and provide additional support to various Mzansi small businesses, Facebook has introduced a new gift card feature that is also available on Instagram. Various businesses such as salons, bakeries, bookshops, restaurants and even fitness studios, are all set to benefit from this new initiative.
“We know small businesses in South Africa have been deeply impacted by the local outbreak of COVID-19, and this new gift card feature is just one of the many ways we continue to support them” says Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa. “Small businesses will continue to play an important role in the economic recovery after the pandemic, which is why it is critical to help them keep the lights on and save jobs. We know when businesses do better, economies do better.”
The feature is simple and easy to utilise. Through a “Support Local Businesses” ad in your Facebook feed, you can find offers from participating merchants where a Gift Card button on the Instagram profiles or in Stories through a Gift Card sticker. It doesn’t end there, the company has also confirmed that Instagram is also launching Food Orders which will make it easier for businesses (especially food outlets) to receive support from people.
Pulling together during these tough times is the only way to cope and ensure that we make it out of it even stronger. It’s great to see massive entities such as Facebook continually taking that to the next level. Businesses interested in enrolling and promoting their digital gift cards on both platforms can find out more info here as well as how to sign up with one of Facebook’s partners.
