Meta partners with Trading Blak to equip First Nations businesses with the right online sales tools to get more people to #BuyBlak

By Alexandra Sloane, Director of Marketing ANZ, Meta Australia

Being a small retail owner in today’s market is difficult enough, let alone trying to navigate the additional challenges faced by First Nations businesses. One challenge and opportunity faced by First Nations businesses is standing out from the crowd during large retail events, such as the increasingly popular Black Friday sales in November that now take place in the lead up to the already hectic Christmas shopping season. 

Indigenous businesses generate more than $4.9 billion to the Australian economy, and between 2006 and 2018 generated more than 22,000 jobs, helping to drive more economic opportunities for First Nations businesses and people. The BuyBlak campaign is a celebration of First Nations business excellence and aims to encourage Australians to shop with these businesses, and remind people that their support has a ripple effect for Indigenous communities and seeing self-determination in action.

First Nations business owners are using Facebook and Instagram beautifully to engage broad audiences about their business stories, and the products they are selling. Jarin Baigent, a Wiradjuri woman who is the Co-Founder of the Indigenous business collective Trading Blak and owner of Jarin Street, along with Jessica Johnson, a Warumungu and Wombaya woman who is another Co-founder of Trading Blak and owner of Nungala Creative. Both of these business owners have told us how important these platforms have become in helping them increase their online presence, showcase their products, drive more sales, and more importantly, encourage people to buy directly from businesses owned and led by First Nations people.

We heard from Jessica that her favourite tool is Instagram Shop. “It allows us to reach our audience and make sales,” she said. “Often Aboriginal businesses can face challenges in that. There are lots of beautiful products and sometimes just reaching the customer base can be challenging, so having an online shop can let us reach our mob and our community.”

Jarin shared a similar sentiment, saying using Facebook and Instagram has “meant a lot to be able to amplify our messaging and create awareness around the challenges we face around a saturated market that you don’t always know who you’re buying from”.

Meta partnered with Trading Blak to jointly launch the Trading Blak Facebook and Instagram Shops during NAIDOC Week last year to ensure their collective of First Nations-owned and led businesses can reach more customers in the long term. The collective has a physical shopfront in Warringah Mall, featuring products from over 50 Indigenous businesses, but since launching the Trading Blak Facebook Shop it has taken a selection of them to Australia and the world.

At Meta Australia, we want to help these businesses further unlock other potentially untapped opportunities by equipping them with the skills and tools to grow their online presence and help find new customers online, ahead of the upcoming holiday season, including Black Friday sales in November, as well as BuyBlak moments year-round.

Coinciding with Indigenous Business Month in October, this year, once again, we are partnering with Trading Blak and First Nations media and events agency 33 Creative to support the #BuyBlak movement in Australia. We know that the holiday season is vital for businesses everywhere. We have no doubt it will spark a huge moment for people to shop for their families and friends, but the impact on Indigenous communities will be significant when people shop with Indigenous-led businesses this holiday season and beyond.