Wednesday March 8 is International Women’s Day. It’s a day marked to encourage us all to forge a better working world–a more inclusive, gender equal world. Facebook is taking the call to action on step further and encouraging women in business to broadcast on Facebook Live using hashtag #SheMeansBusiness. Their campaign is a compelling way to encourage women to share inspiration and knowledge from all over the globe. Of course, we can assume if Facebook is asking us to do it, they will make sure our broadcasts get pushed out to a wider audience (which is win for those if us trying to get our Facebook pages front of more eyes).

Overwhelmed by the idea of doing Facebook Live? I get that. Live video can certainly be intimidating. Facebook put together a handy tip sheet to help you get started.

Even if you decide not to broadcast live, you can still join the timely and relevant conversation around #SheMeansBusiness and International Women’s Day. Here are a few ideas.

Hey female entrepreneurs! Here are 4 simple ways to promote your business on International Women's Day today (and beyond!). #SheMeansBusiness

  • Broadcast on Facebook Live from your Facebook page or group

Facebook is pushing it’s live broadcasting, and they created #SheMeansBusiness to encourage all of us to use it–tomorrow. That means they are more likely to make sure that content gets pushed to the newsfeed of everyone who likes our pages or is a member of our group.  Not sure what to talk about? Here are some ideas to get you brainstorming:

  1. Highlight other women-owned businesses that you admire. Giving others a little spotlight takes the pressure of you and allows you to authentically support the broader community of female business owners.
  2. Share answers to any frequently asked questions you get as a female entrepreneur. Make yourself a list of questions before you go live to you can just read them and then answer. If you don’t have any questions that come to mind, just draft some for yourself. Here’s a few to start you off: “What advice would you have given yourself five years ago?” or “What’s the biggest challenge you see as a women business owner?”
  3. Talk about how you got started. Were you  an accidental entrepreneur, or did you always know you’d be on this journey? Stories are a powerful way to connect with your own community of readers and customers as well as the entrepreneurial community at large.

The goal here is not perfection, it’s participation. Hit that “Go Live” button and begin talking. Stay live for at least ten minutes (per Facebook’s recommendation) and I bet you’ll be glad you did.

  • Participate on Instagram and Twitter using #SheMeansBusiness (bonus: also use #BeBoldForChange)

We all know hashtags often take on a life of their own. I have no doubt that Facebook’s #SheMeansBusiness campaign will see traction on both Instagram and Twitter tomorrow. Be sure your content is there to get in front of an engaged and relevant audience. Also use #BeBoldForChange which is this year’s official theme for International Women’s Day. Post a quote, share another women owned business or female entrepreneur that you admire, or share something you’ve created–and add the hashtags. (I just did this on Twitter and on Instagram.) Once you’ve posted, take it a step further and search the hashtags to find other people (and their content) to engage with. Give a few likes, RT’s, and add comments to show you are participating in the conversation.

  • Offer your mentorship in some form

Are you a more seasoned entrepreneur, or recently learned something that you think other’s would find helpful to know? Think of a way to share it with other women. This could be formally with offering mentorship (even just one time over a cup of coffee) or less formally like popping into a Facebook group you’re a member of and posting your free advice. Personally, I got my start as an entrepreneur back in 2006 when I joined a forum for mompreneurs. Without our open sharing and exchange of advice, I would have a much tougher time getting started. Don’t underestimate the power of sharing!

  • Shop from women-owned businesses

What you purchase, and who you purchase from, makes a difference. Choosing to purchase from a women owned business immediately impacts her business. If you do nothing else, allocate a portion of what you’re about to spend to a women owed business. Take it a step further and share that business or purchase on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and let others know that you chose to support that particular company and why.

I hope these ideas sparked your excitement for tomorrow! Which are you likely to do?

Tori Tait