How small businesses are using social media to further their sales

With COVID-19, everything from school to concerts went online. One of the biggest parts affected was shopping — for some stores this was seen as a bad thing, but for small businesses like Essency Records, online-shopping and promotion could not be better.

Christian Ramcharan, 22, is the owner of Essency Records, a fully online record store that has a selection of vinyl records and some record- themed merchandise as well. Ramcharan said even though it is hard to start a successful business during a pandemic, social media can make a big difference.

“I started the business on social media, and I fully promoted the launch online,” said Ramcharan. “The record store announcement was my first post and it got over 40,000 views within the first day and let us almost completely sell out of our stock at launch.”

With online shopping becoming a big part of people’s lives, Ramcharan said that it is important that brands learn about the importance of social media and the benefits that come with it.

“I think social media is a great form of free marketing, but one of the main benefits it has is the fact that it introduces you and connects you to so many people, you might not have had access too before,” said Ramcharan. “I’ve learned that if you are passionate about anything, people can see it and feel it. Social media has given me so much with this business and I’m forever grateful for these opportunities.”