黑料门

The 黑料门 E-commerce Show hosts Jesse and Richie talk with Erik Suhonen, VP of Operations & Product Partnerships at 黑料门. They discuss how 黑料门 and Facebook have partnered together for Facebook鈥檚 “Support Local” initiative.

Small business success has always been 黑料门鈥檚 North star. Together with our partner Facebook, we are giving you the tools to sell gift cards and make them more visible to your local community.

Set up a digital gift card in your 黑料门 store and it鈥檒l appear to people in your area on Facebook鈥檚 News Feed for free. When a customer clicks on the gift card on Facebook, they鈥檒l be able to purchase it immediately in your store.

The program is valid for merchants from the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Italy, Germany, France, and Spain. The gift cards feature is free for all 黑料门 merchants as a part of the response to the pandemic.

How to Promote a Gift Card on Facebook

Please, follow our detailed instructions .

How to Get More Eyes on Your Gift Cards

1. Publish a post on Facebook and Instagram and tell people that they can purchase gift cards from you. Use hashtags like #supportsmallbusiness
2. Copy a link to your gift card in the 黑料门 Control panel () and promote it in your email newsletter, personal social media profiles, to partner websites, local Facebook groups and media.

Show Notes

• Funding announcement
• 黑料门 and Facebook are working together on the Support Small Businesses Initiative
• Free traffic from Facebook
• Top of the Newsfeed placement
• Purchase gift cards from local businesses
• are now available for free in your 黑料门 store
• A few clicks to set up and get free traffic from Facebook

Transcript

Jesse: What鈥檚 going on, Richie? How are you?

Richard: I鈥檓 doing great, Jess, I see you鈥檙e rocking your second quarantine beard.

Jesse: This is the second one. Yeah. We鈥檙e on, what, probably two months of this business. So still in my same spare bedroom here, still surviving. But hey, life is good, healthy. We do what we can here right now like everybody else listening.

Richard: So that鈥檚 what entrepreneurs do, right? We encounter problems, and we solve them.

Jesse: Absolutely. We鈥檝e done a couple of podcasts now about what 黑料门 has been doing for COVID-19. So we won鈥檛 go through all of those different things. But, please go check out the website. You鈥檒l see the little slider at the top to check out specific things. We鈥檙e going to go into a little more specifics about a new feature that鈥檚 out there. So some people have already seen this email on this, but I think it鈥檚 can be pretty exciting for people, particularly local businesses that are listening and that have a local presence. This is going to be an awesome, awesome thing, and it鈥檚 going to be very easy to do, too. So kind of the trifecta. It鈥檚 not a trifecta. It鈥檚 only two. But it鈥檚 going to be easy. It鈥檚 going to be awesome for you. Richie, for people to watch in the video here, it鈥檚 not just you and I today. We have a guest here.

Richard: And a return guest at that.

Jesse: Absolutely. Yeah, you鈥檙e right. Eric was on one of the earlier podcasts. Let鈥檚 bring him on. Eric Suhonen. How are you?

Erik: I鈥檓 doing great. Thanks for having me on.

Jesse: Yeah. I know that you鈥檝e been pretty busy lately. There鈥檚 been a lot going on at 黑料门. Maybe you can enlighten us.

Erik: Well, there has been a lot going on at 黑料门, as you said, and a lot of exciting stuff. One of the big things that, as of this recording that we announced yesterday, was that we completed our capital raise of forty-two million dollars and really excited about that great new capital partners with Morgan Stanley and Expand Capital. And so it鈥檚 just a really fantastic week for us.

Jesse: Awesome. Yes. There was a little champagne toast yesterday on a Zoom call. That was kind of how you do parties in this environment. But, yes. Super excited. I think for 黑料门 listeners right now with more money means there鈥檚 going to be a lot more features, a lot more support, a lot more everything coming your way. We didn鈥檛 take the money just to take cash out. This is to grow to the next level and invest in a lot of different programs and things like that. Eric, that鈥檚 kind of your area. You do product partnerships and a whole host of other things. I know there鈥檚 some more features coming for our users.

Erik: Yeah, there鈥檚 a ton more. And there鈥檚 some that we鈥檝e been talking about and some that we鈥檝e heard from merchants, things that they would like new features, new ways of being able to sell. And so more robust control panel, a lot more on mobile new sales channels as we continue to invest in this omnichannel. And so lots of really interesting things that we鈥檝e heard from merchants that they would want better on the product roadmap in ways that we can better support them. And of course, a lot of those are really how do we help small businesses around the world and especially in this COVID environment, and really been hyper-focused on that particular frame of small businesses in COVID and supporting them. And then beyond that as well.

Jesse: Perfect. So this podcast now, some of the people listening may have already received an email on this, depending on the country you鈥檙e in. But let鈥檚 get a little bit more specific into it. This is with a partner here and a pretty big partner, Facebook. So what are we working on with them?

Erik: Yeah, it is a pretty exciting initiative. And you mentioned that you鈥檝e already talked quite a bit about COVID, and we鈥檙e all pretty familiar with that. But that鈥檚 really the backdrop of what we鈥檝e been doing. And in addition to what I鈥檓 sure has been shared previously, we鈥檝e continued to think about how we can support small businesses around the world in this new COVID environment. And I think if you haven鈥檛 learned already, we鈥檝e moved a lot of our features, such as gift cards, into our free forever plan, which we think really helps small businesses globally to take advantage of that.

We鈥檝e had a partnership with Facebook for many years now. We鈥檝e done quite a bit with them. And it was a couple of months ago that we collaborated with them on additional things that we could do specific to COVID and helping small businesses. And one of the really exciting things that we are just launching is called the Support Small Businesses Initiative. And potentially some of you might have already seen it on Facebook. Whether you鈥檙e on the web or mobile, it is a very prominent Small Local Businesses display that shows up. And from a consumer perspective, the way it works is that you鈥檙e on Facebook, you see Support Local Businesses, and you click on that and it geo targets local businesses participating around you based on your zip code or if you鈥檙e in other countries, postal code, other ways of geo-targeting so that you have the ability to find those local businesses that are participating. This has started to roll out. There鈥檚 a number of different countries that we鈥檝e already launched in and many more to come.

And the way it works for merchants, as Jesse said, if they鈥檙e already on 黑料门, likely have received an email. If not, depending on what country they鈥檙e in, they will receive an email. And it鈥檚 literally two clicks. And you鈥檙e in there鈥檚 it鈥檚 absolutely free with 黑料门, absolutely free with Facebook. And as soon as you say that this is something that you want to participate in, some of you will get free traffic from Facebook to your 黑料门 store so that you can start supporting, so you can start selling gift cards or sell more gift cards. And so free gift cards and free traffic. We think it鈥檚 really a nice combination for small businesses in this corporate world.

Richard: So I just want to clarify here, Eric, just for a second, because this is one of those things where sometimes in life something sounds too good to be true. But this one sounds more like no brainer because of the COVID scenario; it sounds like Facebook is willing to say, hey, we get almost all of our money from businesses advertising. We understand some are struggling. And this is gonna be our way to give back, especially to the people in local communities. Part of why you get e-commerce is you can sell anywhere. And so you鈥檙e gonna be able to do that still. Obviously, nothing鈥檚 going to change in your 黑料门 store. But this is a way for you that even though you鈥檙e in your house, it sounds as if it鈥檚 literally a no brainer. You鈥檙e gonna be able to buy a gift card. The merchant doesn鈥檛 pay extra any additional fees. They鈥檙e going to get traffic. When the consumer goes on, I saw a quick screenshot. It was somewhere right understories, but before the newsfeed, Support Local Business. And just for quick clarification here, for those that don鈥檛 know what geo-targeting is, it would be something as if it knows your zip code and there鈥檚 a circumference around you of some size, five miles, 10 miles, 20 miles. I don鈥檛 know how big that is, but all the businesses that are participating in that area are going to then show up on your screen, and you can choose between them. Is that that what we鈥檙e talking about here?

Erik: Yeah, that鈥檚 exactly the experience as a consumer. You will get that very prominent Support Local Businesses. You click on that, and then you can say, I鈥檓 looking to buy a gift card for my local hair salon or a local restaurant or a local whatever type of store that either you have been frequenting and maybe they鈥檙e closed. It鈥檚 a way to support them, even if their shop is closed. And so that鈥檚 that鈥檚 exactly how it works. It鈥檚 really super easy for the merchant. And then also a whole new experience for the consumer as well.

Richard: So what kind of process is this to set up? Is this tedious? Are these one-two clicks? How much time is a merchant looking at to get this setup?

Erik: Yeah. For the merchants that have received the email and gone through the process, I鈥檓 sure they鈥檙e pretty surprised how easy it is. Literally, you get the email, you click twice, say that this is something I want to participate in and you鈥檙e off and running. So that鈥檚 two clicks, and that鈥檚 it. And then depending on what country you鈥檙e in, what geo you were in, then you鈥檒l start to see to get traffic to your 黑料门 store from Facebook.

Jesse: Eric, on the on the gift cards there. Is it any amount, or do you have to choose a particular amount for a gift card on your store?

Erik: Any amount.

Jesse: OK, so you don鈥檛 really have to set up gift cards as a product. You just say, yes, I want to sell gift cards. Click into that. And it鈥檚 kind of automatically set up in your store.

Erik: Yeah. And to be very specific, within your 黑料门 store, either you have gift cards already set up, and it鈥檚 just sending traffic to that. Or if you don鈥檛 have gift cards already set up, that鈥檚 OK. Then you just set that up, which is really easy for whatever amount than you want. And then it鈥檚 sending traffic to your 黑料门 store to sell those gift cards.

Jesse: Perfect. We did reference that we鈥檝e had some other podcasts about what 黑料门 is doing for the pandemic, and gift cards used to be a paid feature. We did move that into a free feature. So this is now you can sell gift cards for free. And Facebook is going to market this for free. I even clarify what we mentioned and where it shows up in the Facebook news feed. So, if you open up your phone, they are at the top of your news feed. When you go into Facebook, it鈥檚 right at the top. I wouldn鈥檛 even call it an advertisement. Those would be further down the news feed. There鈥檚 this thing that you鈥檙e blind to ads at some point. This is like front and center. I would say it鈥檚 better than advertising. It鈥檚 really, really hard to miss this. And again, that very special word free.

Richard: That鈥檚 what I was just going to say to piggyback on yours. You said it鈥檚 better than advertising. I would definitely say you鈥檙e in a better space. That鈥檚 not going to be missed. And I don鈥檛 know this for certain. So it鈥檚 kind of a question as I make this statement. I鈥檇 imagine that this is showing up on if not everybody鈥檚 a phone when they log in. A high percentage, unlike an ad where it鈥檚 only going to show up based on the percentage of the amount you鈥檙e spending. Is that correct? Again, I know you probably don鈥檛 know the specifics of exactly how many phones it鈥檚 showing upon, but it鈥檚 definitely gonna be a higher percentage than you may or may not see it scrolling through your feed.

Erik: Yeah, it is very, very prominent for those people that have it on their feed. We know what countries that we鈥檝e launched in, and we have launched it in eight countries already. And some of those were just this week. So this is a brand new feature. And then there鈥檚 many more countries to come. Most of the countries that we鈥檝e been focusing on already, the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Australia, more developed countries, North America, Western Europe, for instance, will continue to launch in additional countries. And APAC is one of the additional regions that Facebook is going to be launching in, which means we鈥檒l be launching with them. And so we鈥檙e trying to get this to as many countries as possible.

Jesse: So, Eric, I imagine this works pretty well for restaurants as well. Restaurants can also use these gift cards that they鈥檝e been particularly hit hard in this in the pandemic. So it works for restaurants as well.

Erik: It does work for restaurants as well. And I think about it as there are two buckets that I think people can leverage it for said restaurants and those that have a physical store, that is physical brick and mortar, that really have with COVID or struggling to sell and need to be able to open that up in a physical way that already maybe they have some type of product. It could be food, but it could be a different type of product that really helps them to just generate additional revenue.

And then there鈥檚 the other bucket; a hairstylist might be an example of someone in the other bucket, which is they don鈥檛 have any products. I mean, maybe they have some hair products, but the majority of their revenue is coming from something service-based, cutting hair, whatever that might be. And they are some for some of them around the world. They just physically and maybe legally can鈥檛 even open their doors at all. So when we talk about curbside pickup. Sure. That makes sense for a restaurant or someone that has products, but it doesn鈥檛 make sense for someone who鈥檚 a hairstylist. And so for those that are in that second bucket, like a hairstylist, it鈥檚 a great way.

And I put myself into that, as I think there鈥檚 so many local businesses around that I love their services and their great local businesses. And I really I can鈥檛 support them right now because of COVID. Oh, great. Now I can go, and I can buy some gift cards that then I can use in the future when they go and open up. So it鈥檚 a win for me. It鈥檚 a win for them. They鈥檙e getting revenue even if they can鈥檛 open their doors. And it鈥檚 a win for me because I鈥檓 helping to keep my local businesses alive because I want them there as things start to open up. And it鈥檚, it鈥檚 a win-win on both sides.

Richard: That鈥檚 a great point because they鈥檙e getting their revenue now when that gift card is purchased. they鈥檙e actually receiving their revenue now. So even if they can鈥檛 open or they need some additional money to get back open because they need to put certain things in place, that this is going to be helping them out a lot. That鈥檚 a great point. What is the actual experience for the person holding the gift card? Do they get an email? It is something they鈥檙e scanned in. Is it a code? Like how does that work?

Erik: Yeah, the gift card functionality and Jesse knows some of this as well, is built right into the 黑料门 platform and it鈥檚 pretty easy to set up. But also you can almost think of it as just another type of product in your 黑料门 store. And so you can think about that the same way you go to a store is that I want a gift card for X amount and go to the checkout process and boom, everything鈥檚 the same. So it is pretty streamlined, just as any other product would be.

Richard: How about as far as the redeeming of it? I go to a store; I want to support the local restaurant. I buy a gift card. I鈥檓 assuming there鈥檚 not a physical gift card that鈥檚 now getting sent in the mail to me. I鈥檓 getting some sort of email receipt or bar code or something. And then I just 械ake that to the restaurant, the rest restaurant has some way of referencing that鈥檚 now been used or something like that?

Erik: Yeah, Jesse, do you want to take that, or you want me to?

Jesse: I鈥檒l let you take that, but I would say, Rich, you don鈥檛 have to mail a physical card. This can be all electronic. It would be a nice touch to mail something physically as well. But that鈥檚 not required. But yeah, it can be a unique code that can be redeemed. So that way, it can鈥檛 be shared or stolen on the Internet.

Richard: That鈥檚 great.

Erik: Yeah. However, if the merchant wants to do it. If they want it physical, they can do a physical. If they want it digital, they can do it digitally.

Richard: I鈥檇 imagine right now people would want it digital anyway. Not only would it be additional work out to your point, though, maybe a Christmas or something, there would be a nice touch, but it鈥檚 definitely not needed. And I guess the reason why I was asking that is in some way; this even keeps potentially some of physical distancing. Apart from that, you鈥檙e not actually touching other things right now. Hopefully, that doesn鈥檛 last for a long time. But, you get to support it. It鈥檚 easy to set up. Businesses are getting revenue. Now Facebook is sending you free traffic. 黑料门 made it free. I mean, this literally sounds like a no brainer to me.

Erik: It yeah, it is a no brainer. We鈥檙e excited that we鈥檙e one of the few partners that are working with Facebook on this. And I think that was just the result of long years of a good partnership with Facebook also. So it鈥檚 not open. I just want to be clear, like it鈥檚 not open to everybody. You do have to be a merchant on the 黑料门 platform. You can鈥檛 just go to Facebook and do this. It is specifically through just a few partners like 黑料门. I think the important thing is just to know that it is through 黑料门 and not just a general Facebook program.

Jesse: But you could sign up right now if you鈥檙e not an 黑料门 merchant. FYI, go and create. If you鈥檝e listened to this far and you鈥檙e not a merchant, I鈥檇 be a little surprised. But if you haven鈥檛, you want to send it to your friend. I mean, obviously, this is really good for local businesses. We鈥檙e seeing a lot of new people signing up for 黑料门 that didn鈥檛 previously work with us. They weren鈥檛 traditional e-commerce. So as you mentioned, a lot of these service-based businesses, even a lot of personal trainers, they鈥檒l sign up, and then they鈥檒l sell. It鈥檚 a Zoom link. A lot of new customers there, local people that had brick and mortar businesses that are now opening up an e-commerce option as well. A lot of new people out there. And now you can sell gift cards, get your free traffic from Facebook. So definitely a win-win all around.

Erik: Yeah, that鈥檚 so true. A personal trainer is a great example of this. There鈥檚 so many in that service base that can leverage this.

Richard: Yeah, even though I鈥檓 part of the show, I don鈥檛 actually work at 黑料门, but I really just want to say thank you to you guys, because this isn鈥檛 the only thing, I鈥檝e just constantly seen you guys making changes to make this better for the merchants. And it鈥檚 it鈥檚 obvious that this is a big win. There鈥檒l be some form of reciprocity. I mean, obviously doing goodwill. You鈥檙e a business, so it鈥檒l win. But you鈥檙e deferring what you could try to make people up, charge them to get to a higher program. But you鈥檙e giving away for free. And I just really want to thank you, guys — just human to humans and businessmen to business. Thanks for looking out for small businesses. It鈥檚 a big part of all of our lives. Again, e-commerce. We want to sell to as many people all around the world as possible. But when we wake up and we walk our kids, and we walk our dogs, and we go to the gas station like we were experiencing local businesses pretty much on daily and just want to say thanks.

Erik: Yeah, I appreciate that. It reminds me that 黑料门 is a very mission-based company, and we have a very specific mission that all employees know. And we鈥檝e pushed this out publicly, too. And it really is to support the small businesses around the world. And in the vein of that mission, too. This is a really unique time, and it is an important time that we help businesses to survive and thrive. The more that we can do that, the more just fits right into our mission. Yes, there鈥檚 some kind of business part of it. But a lot of the discussions that we鈥檝e had across 黑料门 like this is a unique time that we need to really support each other. And this is a good way to do it.

Jesse: Yeah, well said, if local businesses need to keep their doors open, they have rent to pay, they have expenses. So if your local business and you haven鈥檛 thought about the ability to sell, sell gift cards like this is an opportunity. Very simple. So, Richie, do you have any last questions here for Eric or any last thoughts to share?

Richard: If anything, to tell you the truth, now that I鈥檝e thought this out and we just we鈥檙e bringing this to a close. It literally is making me want to even talk to more of my local businesses around here. I鈥檝e already talked about 黑料门 a million times over. But some of the ones to your point, that didn鈥檛 really seem like a fit in the beginning, that this is still worth mentioning this. And I鈥檒l definitely pass this podcast on to them because this is something that could pretty much help any business and then should they ever decide to extend and take advantage of all the other features and 黑料门. Great. But regardless, this is something that could benefit their business. So, again, I鈥檇 just like to say thanks to you guys and all you鈥檙e doing to support businesses in general and especially local businesses. And congratulations again, both of you, on the capital raise. I look forward to seeing all the additional features and things you do to help businesses moving forward.

Erik: That鈥檚 an exciting time with that, and as I said, we鈥檙e very focused on helping small businesses through this. And I think together we鈥檙e gonna get through this.

Richard: So it sounds like time to get back to work. Time to feed the kids.

Jesse: Yes, indeed. Yeah, we raised money, now we鈥檝e got to get back to work. So for everybody listening out there, you know what to do out there. Make it happen.