Businesses across Bristol’s 47 high streets are being invited to sign up for free social media tools and training to help boost sales following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ‘virtual high street guide’, which is being run by Bristol City Council and social media engagement company Maybe Tech, will allow shoppers to find businesses near them and view their social media content. It will also enable firms to interact with and incentivise people while they shop.
The initiative is aiming to help businesses across the retail, hospitality, leisure, health and beauty sectors which have been forced to temporarily close during the three national lockdowns.
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The technology is also designed to allow businesses to cross-promote and support their high street neighbours in a bid to create an online network of connected traders.
The local authority and Maybe Tech are offering free training over the next year to interested companies on how to engage with their audiences and drive custom digitally.
It comes as data from Maybe Tech suggests that just over half of businesses in the city use social media, with around a quarter of those active online everyday.
Councillor Afzal Shah, cabinet member for climate, ecology sustainable growth at Bristol City Council, said: “During the pandemic we have become increasingly aware just how important having social media skills are for our high street businesses to maintain contact with their customer base.
“By adopting the Maybe engagement platform we are providing 12 months free access for all our high street businesses.”
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Mr Shah said the high street guide would also provide a "useful tool" for residents to explore and connect with their local businesses.
According to Maybe Tech research, 66% of shoppers look online for inspiration. Polly Barnfield, chief executive of Maybe Tech, believes high street businesses need to improve their "digital game".
“High streets need infrastructure that until now has only been available for online businesses. They need to communicate with shoppers in real-time and be able to showcase what’s available," she said.
“In order to compete, high street businesses need to up their digital game, promote their physical stores and collaborate. Our platforms help them collectively to do that and we are delighted to be working with Bristol City Council.”
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Maybe is a partner on the 海角视频 Government’s High Street Task Force, which is a five-year project that supports high street regeneration.
It has created virtual guides for more than 3,600 high streets nationwide in a bid to help them recover from the economic blows sustained during the pandemic, which has quickened the migration of many shoppers to online retailers and seen swathes of big high street brands fall into administration.
A ‘virtual high street’ of independent shops, artists and producers in Bristol was recently launched on a site called Squiggle to allow small independent retailers to sell their products more easily.