Y’all… this post has been a long time in the making. I’ve been blogging for almost nine years now. Then I started a separate small (very small) business. I’ve watched other friends start jobs outside the room, from their homes, join MLMs, and become their own CEO of every kind of small business available. You know what I’ve learned? We all need help and support, no matter where our journey takes us. Most of these thoughts today are geared towards your friends that are influencers or small business owners. However, several of them apply to ANYONE in our lives. Today I’m sharing ways that you can support your friends without spending a single dime–and honestly without even spending too much of your time.
like, comment, save, or share their posts
This is the EASIEST thing you can do to support your friends. It’s also probably the suggestion you hear most frequently when people bring up ways to support small businesses. Most social media platforms and Pinterest (which is actually a search engine) perform on algorithms. The posts that receive the most engagement are going to be seen more. So stop your scroll long enough to read captions, like a post, and leave a comment. Saving posts and sharing posts is a huge help too!
click through their links
Did you know that some ads and affiliate links give you a tiny cut just for a click through? Meaning that if you click through a particular affiliate link of mine and don’t even make a purchase I still make about .05-.10 cents! Yeah, it’s not a lot, but it adds up and all it cost was about 15 seconds of your time. Even if a link doesn’t direct to an affiliate site then your click might still mean a page view on a blog post which is great too! Plus, click throughs perform well with social media algorithms. So you’re helping a post be seen JUST by clicking on a friend’s link.
tell people about them
Word of mouth is one of the best forms of advertising and marketing there is! Other than sharing posts online, a great way to have more eyes on content we create is by people talking about it. Share recipes you’ve found with the women at your church, talk about an interesting blog post with the moms at preschool pickup, or suggest a particular essential oil to your neighbor.
keep them in mind for the future
Maybe you don’t have a need for a photographer, new outfit, no-smudge lipstick, or amazing sugar cookies right now, but someday you probably will! They love you and understand you can’t throw all your money their way. Just keep your friends who own small businesses or are part of an MLM in mind for when your budget or needs allow!
refrain from public negativity
I get so annoyed when I see negativity on someone’s post, especially when it’s sponsored. And I don’t just mean outright trolling. That’s a whole other can of worms. But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a friend’s comment on a sponsored post and although they’re not saying anything outright negative, their comment would definitely come across negatively to a brand! Thumper’s mother said it best–“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
help out when you can
Have a friend who just started going back to work outside the home after being a SAHM for years? Offer to bring dinner over one night to give her a break. Know a couple who has no family nearby and could use a date night? Offer to babysit for them. Or if you have any photography skills offer to take pictures for your blogging friends. Or be a walking buddy for your friend that is striving to be healthier. Chances are, no matter what your situation is or what your friend’s situation is, you can figure out some way to help them out!
encouragement goes a long way
Sometimes all you have to do to support your friends is send them a message. A text, voicemail, email, or DM on social media can make all the difference. Let them know you loved their picture, enjoyed their blog post, loved the outfit they put together, whatever! There’s a lot of self doubt when you’re a small business owner of any kind and a little encouragement goes a long way.
The photography in this post was provided by Shelby Mousley Photography. If you are in Northern California or surrounding regions I highly recommend her.
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Emi of @emisdelights on Instagram also participated in this shoot. She specializes in custom confections in the Auburn and Sacramento area.
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