💻 [OBO DIGEST] $910 Billion
Prepping for holiday promos, Facebook Groups refresh, and curating a board of advisors…
Written by: Online Business Owner • November 08, 2021
I hope you loved your extra hour of sleep yesterday as much as I did.
Daylight Saving Time ended and that means we’re plunged into sleep-inducing darkness for the next several months. Whether you choose to hygge down until spring or keep at life with the same pace as a warm summer day, here are some tips to help you transition into winter. Also, check out how the residents of Tromsø, Norway (land of the polar night) survive their darkest days!
News + Happenings
The 2021 Holiday Shopping Season Commences
With the arrival of November and the ending of Daylight Saving Time, the 2021 holiday shopping season is here! The numbers for retailers and makers look GOOD this year -- online shopping is expected to surpass a record $910 billion (Inc. https://www.inc.com/anna-meyer/holiday-shopping-2021-e-commerce-adobe.html).
As we head deeper into holiday marketing keep an eye on the Holiday Season Tracker from Morning Consult -- it’s updated every week with key consumer stats you don’t want to miss!
Some other stats to keep in mind as you promote -- a majority of consumers pay MORE attention to their email this time of year as they look for sales, online shopping reigns supreme (more than ever), nearly a quarter of consumers are relying on social media and Instagram for product discovery (more so amongst Gen Z), and consumers drastically prefer free over fast shipping (FinancesOnline.com https://financesonline.com/christmas-shopping-statistics/).
To all of our readers -- we’re wishing you a successful (and profitable) holiday season!
Facebook Doubles Down on Groups, Announces New Features
Last week’s Facebook Communities Summit saw one of the largest updates to Facebook Groups in years. New features are on their way, though some new tools will test with certain users before full release.
The updates include…
Custom branding for groups including colors, fonts, post backgrounds, and reactions.
New group features, categories, and post formats.
Custom group greetings with a custom image and text from a group admin.
A broad rollout of the community awards feature that’s been in beta.
A new “Featured” section at the top of each group where pin posts will live.
Updates to Admin Assist to help with spam and content moderation.
Community Chats to give group admins and mods a central chat in Messenger.
Recurring group events including scheduled livestreams.
Testing of a new subgroups feature along with paid subgroups.
Group fundraisers and a new group shopping function to sell merch.
The company is betting big on Groups as they double down on their vision for the Metaverse. Zuck says, “Groups and communities on Facebook are going to be an important part of this vision. Nothing beats being together…” (Techcrunch https://techcrunch.com/2021/11/04/facebook-groups-to-gain-personalization-features-subgroups-chat-and-tools-for-making-money/).
Why it matters for online business
Facebook Groups play an important role in online business -- from free groups to generate leads to client communities for paid programs. And while some creators are jumping ship for tools like MightyNetworks, Circle, Discourse, and Slack; Groups on Facebook still provide one of the best free places to build and nurture a community. These updates give online business owners more creative control over their Groups, make management easier, and open up new monetization opportunities for creators and educators.
Social Media News + Updates
📸Instagram rolls out holiday shopping programming including live shopping events and gift guides.
📸Instagram post previews return to Twitter after nearly a decade away.
📸 Instagram’s “Add Yours” sticker rolls out for all users -- adds more collab opportunities to IG.
👥Facebook abandons their controversial facial recognition program -- promises to delete data.
👥Facebook launches new monetization tools for creators including special bonus program.
📌Pinterest launches holiday marketing hub to help with campaign planning.
In Other News
🚑 2022 health coverage enrollment opens -- it’s more affordable than ever thanks to new subsidies.
💰 Freelancing biz management platform Honeybook doubles valuation with $250M in new funding.
THE ONLINE BUSINESS SHOW
YOUR WEEKLY KICK IN THE PANTS
About The Contributor
You May Also Like…
![[OBO DIGEST] Success Tip: Find the Balance That Changes Everything](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/639b52d3dcda9628d4c3b395/1731002608579-BYSQFTBJN3OZ0LN3D6E4/surface-wr5iWiE0dNs-unsplash.jpg)
![[OBO DIGEST] 7 Beliefs That Keep You Broke—and How to Change Them](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/639b52d3dcda9628d4c3b395/1730401517197-BS5HH7EAPNJD2TNN9UHO/bench-accounting-C3V88BOoRoM-unsplash.jpg)
![[Obo DIGEST] Turn Every ‘No’ Into a Win – Here’s How](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/639b52d3dcda9628d4c3b395/1729779860034-AE3TLKHZGVCCRBZKT0IF/unsplash-image-nysVe5rsJtc.jpg)
![[OBO DIGEST] Stop Chasing Clients—Here’s How to Attract Them Naturally](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/639b52d3dcda9628d4c3b395/1729267489512-8TU5NM6JHJIILLF1Z4JI/image-asset.jpeg)