A grocery or online store can offer thousands of products that have a faceless or unknown identity. One may feel prevented from supporting non-black-owned businesses because it can detract from a community’s leader. Continuing to support a community’s leader can possibly take away from innovative individuals starting from the ground up. Supporting black-owned businesses can help black entrepreneurs break into a market, possibly leading to community change and growth. Ultimately it starts with individuals supporting those businesses through labels, social media, or online reviews.
Below are 3 ways to support a black-owned business.
Check Labels
Unique packaging can attract new customers, but a specific black-owned label can secure a purchase for some. Many companies have recently provided a label that pridefully shows black ownership. This is a great way to look out for brands to support when shopping online or in person. Additionally, some storefronts will also include a sign on their window or door.
Target, the retail corporation, has introduced a special logo for brands to utilize within their store to distinguish black-owned businesses. This label is a great way to find brands with black CEOs and based staff. Target’s badge is also on its website, making finding black-owned brands to support easier.
Social Media Support
One challenge that black-owned businesses may face is insufficient exposure, which can be amplified through social media. Public social media business accounts often follow guidelines set by the business but personal anecdotes can persuade others to support a business. For example, Instagram’s stories feature allows one to share their positive experience with a brand with their personal followers.
A personal tale often does not feel like a business sponsorship but an approval of a friend or family member. Besides social media, individuals can often voice their approval through online reviews.
Online Reviews
Likewise, sites like Yelp can help boost a black-owned business’s reputation, trust, and recognition to a wider audience. Although Yelp may be associated with restaurant reviews, it provides reviews for home and auto services, salons, and more. A positive review affects a business by appearing professional and legitimate, which can greatly help it.
In addition, Google offers its own public reviews for local businesses in the Google knowledge graph that appears in search results. Again, a positive review results in the same exposure and confident belief, which also appears in Google Maps. Unlike a Yelp review, a positive Google review can also help a business rank higher in a search engine and Google page. This can impact a business in a groundbreaking way.
Conclusion
Sometimes a little extra time when searching through products at the supermarket or online can make a difference. Supporting black-owned businesses benefits the local community and helps establish diverse leaders in the corporate world. However, it all starts with individuals willing to support their favorite black-owned businesses.
For more insight into black and Latino businesses and the rest of the business world, check out the rest of FerryGodmother.Biz.