How nenos is supporting small and minority-owned businesses

For many small and family-owned businesses, and especially those owned by women and minorities, the deck is stacked against them. It’s hard to compete in online marketing against gigantic, multinational corporations spending millions of dollars in sponsored advertising. In addition, many social media networks are so large that content – and their businesses – get lost in the mix.

While we build nenos and its core features, an early emphasis (and a key part of our corporate philosophy) has been supporting small business. This will be supported by our Discovery feature, a tool set for release in Spring 2023. Discovery will be a way for nenos creators to see what is happening around them, and that includes activities around local businesses.

On the platform, businesses will be able to use Discovery to post up-to-date information on activities, events, sales, and more – all for free! This will be most useful for small businesses, as 1) they won’t need to pay-to-play for consumer attention and 2) they’ll be directly engaging with those who are closest to them. 

Another important element of our support of small businesses is our policy of blocking corporate advertising. We think that sponsored ads are detrimental to the health of the platform and our creators. This policy protects our creators from malicious and intrusive data collection. 

While some businesses may be frustrated with being unable to connect with consumers via sponsored advertising, this actually is a positive thing. A 2021 Forbes article shares that:

“Unlike traditional push advertising which interrupts people while doing other things, social media users expect to be in control when engaging with a brand. They want to interact on their own terms, not be force-fed by the brands. … Retailers and brands run the risk of turning off, rather than turning on consumers when social engagement becomes too commercial.”

Forbes later suggests that companies should prioritize building relationships with their customers, rather than basing campaigns on traditional digital advertising. By prohibiting ads, we’re leveling the playing field and giving all businesses an equal opportunity to engage with a customer base… and the Discovery feature empowers creators and small businesses to develop stronger relationships by giving our content creators the control when engaging with brands.

For far too long, the status quo has not worked for many businesses out there and there are better ways to support small businesses. And with digital advertising in decline across many platforms, nenos is positioned to support and empower businesses of all sizes – and give them the tools they need to build healthier, longer-lasting relationships with their customers.