For the millions of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across the world, staying competitive in today’s fast-paced market requires more than just hard work; it demands adaptability and a forward-looking mindset. Rising costs and shifting consumer expectations are creating new hurdles, but they also offer opportunities for growth and innovation.

Over 330 million consumers connected with small businesses via Facebook Messenger in 2017 alone, so it's evident that the ‘phone call’ era is coming to a close. Since consumers now want constant, immediate online connectivity with their local car dealership, pizza joint, and other local businesses, it is only fitting that Facebook Messenger’s latest feature grants consumers even more flexibility in how they contact their local business.

Facebook’s most recent monthly active users numbered over 1.7 billion. Billion, with a ‘b.’ Since creating and managing a page for your business is free, there simply isn’t an excuse to put off doing so another day. Whether your page is being neglected because of low traffic or ROI on the time you invest in it, 1.7 billion is too large a number to ignore.