As part of Facebook’s efforts to empower local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the social media giant announced the launch of the #BeDiscovered campaign. Conducted in partnership with local influencers running businesses on Facebook’s platforms, the campaign will feature a series of Facebook and Instagram Live discussions. Their goal is to offer a platform for local entrepreneurs to share their success stories and educate aspiring entrepreneurs on the free tools and features that they can use to turn their business ideas into reality.
With new discussions weekly, the #BeDiscovered Live series will be hosted by Nadiya Fernando, Founder of The Wax Museum and Melissa Dharmadasa, Founder and Creative Director of Bakes by Bella, beginning from the 4th week of November. They will be speaking to local SMEs that utilize Facebook’s platforms, their business journeys, and challenges overcome along the way.
The sessions will also have a Facebook representative who will be providing tips and tricks in 4 areas. These range from the basics of creating engaging content to leveraging analytics tools. With the #BeDiscovered series, Facebook aims to offer a crash course through the ins and outs of low-cost business development with the social media giants free tools.
“2020 has been a tough year for people, communities and businesses around the world. In Sri Lanka, we’ve seen many inspiring stories of SMEs growing their business and sparking conversations across Facebook’s family of apps,” said Jordi Forniés, Director of Emerging Markets – APAC at Facebook. “Through the #BeDiscovered campaign, we want to continue to show our support in helping businesses adapt as consumer trends shift, particularly during and post COVID-19. By the end of the campaign, we hope that every business, existing or aspiring, will be inspired and equipped with the necessary tools they need to keep going and keep growing.”
Beyond this campaign and as part of a wider initiative to support SMEs – Facebook has launched a Season of Support hub. It aims to help small businesses get holiday ready with free marketing training, resources and more. Businesses can get the help and support they need during the busiest time of year with access to customized resources that can assist them in reaching their goals. Recently, Facebook also released the results of 2 surveys conducted by Delloite that showed Sri Lankan SMEs have increased their usage of digital tools and social media.
Today, SMEs are a crucial component of the Sri Lankan economy. As per research by Advocata Institute, small businesses account for 45% of domestic employment and 52% of Sri Lanka’s GDP. However, following the lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic, many SMEs have found themselves in vulnerable positions. As many have turned towards technology for continuity and survival, efforts like the #BeDiscovered campaign by Facebook are a positive step forward in these precarious times.