Stop by New York City artisanal doughnut maker Dough's locations for some of their delicious treats.
And, while you're at it, please snap a few photos and videos and post about it online, says Dough partner Steven Klein.
"I'm a lot older than the average TikToker or Instagrammer," Klein admitted. "But we've learned how to communicate with the younger audience."
The company has amassed a large following on Instagram thanks to its visually stunning brioche-based doughnuts with unique toppings like hibiscus or 24-karat gold.
When Dough opened its Flatiron, Manhattan, location in 2014, about 300 people were in line throughout the day thanks to social media. Today, if you stop by the store, you'll see people with cameras, capturing content for their social feeds.
Over the summer, Klein joined TikTok to spread the word about his shop and is starting to see similar social word-of-mouth success.
"'I've done very, very well on social media, whether it's Facebook or Instagram," he said. "And TikTok is so powerful that we figured we have to learn it and understand it and start to develop it because it's such a big platform. And it's the next step for us."
It's already difficult for small businesses and startups to succeed. About 20 percent will fail by their second year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But they are vital to neighborhoods. The Small Business Association reported that for every $100 spent with a local business, $48 will stay in the area. Compare that to a national or big-box retailer: Only $14 out of $100 remains.
"The small business owner themselves is often running the company day to day," said TikTok's global head of small business Rebecca Sawyer. "They're thinking about the strategic items. They're also just managing all of the ins and outs that are required with the business. They're the marketer. They're working on legal issues. That is a really, really tough job."
Getting exposure when you're competing with million-dollar budgets is a challenge. But thanks to the ability to go viral for free or at a low cost on social media, it gives these smaller companies a fighting chance. Hashtags, like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, have garnered more than 3.7 billion viewers. About three out of four people say the platform has influenced their purchasing decisions, points out Sawyer.
"As they've come on TikTok and had access to an audience that might be much larger than what they had anticipated or even experienced on other platforms, it's really opened up the world of possibility to them in terms of that discoverability," she said.
For companies like vintage home goods store and plant shop, Ruinous Revived in Wappinger Falls, N.Y., platforms are the only way to get the word out beyond their small towns. Owner Jess Howe handed out a lot of printed postcards at local businesses, but it's really thanks to her Instagram and TikTok accounts, she's getting more attention.
"I also do a lot of shop tours and everything like that," Howe said of her social accounts. "That's the big thing to get people in because I can't post everything online [on my website], even though I post a lot. People will say, 'Oh, what's this one piece I saw on the corner when you were doing the video,' and then they'll buy it through me online or come in to check it out."
Out-of-state sales have tripled over the last month for her, and it helped Ruinous Revived get through tough times when tourism slowed down.
"My sales actually went up at the beginning of the pandemic compared to the year before, because of the online presence and everything like that," she said.
Finding partners who have other large social followings also helps. Dough recently partnered with Conor McGregor and his Whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve to create whiskey-infused doughnuts, with sales benefitting The Tunnel to Towers Foundation. But simple things like behind-the-scenes tours humanize the companies and give potential customers a look at what running the shop is like. Dough posts videos showing the baking process, while one of Howe's videos shows her restoring an old speaker.
"They're bringing us into their day-to-day lives," TikTok's Sawyer said. "They're bringing us into their shops, into their businesses. We get to see the craft behind what they're doing."
But the most important thing is to keep it light, Howe said.
"Don't think too hard about it," she said. "And you know, just keep it authentic and just have fun."
