Instagram and Facebook Announcing New Features to Help You Find and Support Local Businesses

Facebook is adding new features that will allow users to show support for local businesses and to get updates on the deals from nearby businesses.

The social media is offering a new section called Businesses Nearby, by which users can see the latest posts from local businesses within a geographic radius from one mile to five hundred miles and get information about the pick-up hours and delivery options.

As described in the Facebook blog, these new features will help the local businesses to get more customers by allowing the users to find the products/services easily.

If the users need to show support for any local businesses they can add new Support Small Business sticker on Instagram or #SupportSmallBusiness hashtag on Facebook and the posts will be added to a shared Instagram story highlighting similar posts from all the accounts you follow. Creators on Facebook can tag a post as being “in support of” a specific small business.

In addition, Facebook and Instagram apps will be updated with COVID-19-related information, tools, and tips for small businesses. Facebook said local businesses will be able to get this information through the Facebook app shortcuts or their Instagram business profile.

These changes were part of a $100 million grant program for small businesses that Facebook announced in March, as well as other new features like the options to share temporary service changes.