Meta Elevate

When VAMIGAS co-founders Ann D. and Christina Kelmon launched their brand in 2021, it was in response to not seeing themselves reflected in the wellness or clean beauty space. The pair were determined to create products that were both naturally-derived and rooted in heritage. “We wanted to share what we call the “Latin American plant magic” behind our products,” they explained, their products boasting vitamin-rich ingredients like Açaí oil and Chilean rosehip. “If you don’t want to use too many products, or you have sensitive skin, there are alternatives that have been used in our communities for generations, sometimes centuries.” After joining the Meta Elevate Facebook group, they were able to find resources from other founders, attended workshops and received support to resolve technical issues on their pages. “Social media allowed us to organically create a huge community who loved our products [and that] turned into our Señora era community.” When it comes to ads across Facebook and Instagram, they’ve taken a hybrid approach to creating content that sticks; crafting content that entertains and educates at the same time. “Alongside your product videos, you’ll have to bake in personal videos that are focused on you and your journey or your background, valuable reels where you teach audiences how to do something awesome,” they explained. “You have to entertain people! You’ve got to make them laugh, feel good about themselves, and feel joy about the future.” Follow VAMIGAS Botanicals on their continued journey to bringing back wellness inspired by Latin American women: https://lnkd.in/gM34ERqf

Hey founders! 👋🏾 We’re sharing two really great opportunities from a16z Talent x Opportunity, a fund and accelerator program for entrepreneurs, that you should know about. ➖ a16z TxO is partnering with AWS to run their first ever AWS Impact Bootcamp on October 1st and 2nd in SF. The 2-day bootcamp will focus on fundraising, community building, and networking with investors. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/dGuWrcmU ➖ Are you building something fresh in art, fashion, food, music, sports, or another lifestyle sector? a16z TxO is also currently accepting applications for their Spring 2025 cohort dedicated to helping you level up as a founder and accelerate your company’s growth to hit your next key milestones. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eihe69U4

For Jesse Íñiguez, the idea of opening a coffee shop was a vision over 20 years in the making. ☕️ After walking into a coffee shop his freshman year in college, he started to wonder why nothing like it existed in his own community on the southwest side of Chicago. By 2016, Jesse and co-founder Mayra Susana Hernandez opened Back of the Yards Coffee Co. — named after the neighborhood it calls home. Like many brick & mortar businesses during the start of the pandemic in 2020, Jesse started thinking of ways to pivot. It was then that he discovered Meta Elevate. “One of the things for us that really helped us survive was reaching out to our community [through social media],” he said, crediting his partnership with Meta Elevate for gaining a better understanding of the digital tools he had at his fingertips. The brand started hosting Facebook and Instagram Lives, and creating ads for their online store, expanding their reach beyond the doors of the shop. “Advertising on Facebook and Instagram really helps level the playing field and use the tools that the big businesses are using,” he added. Look out for their new location opening this fall and follow their journey at https://lnkd.in/gwbC6CWh.

Over 30,000 entrepreneurs gathered over one weekend 🌟 Invest Fest 2024 was a whole entire vibe. Head of Meta Elevate Onika L. W. was on the ground in ATL for the #InvestFestival experience, watch her recap and let us know if you were in attendance. Thanks to the entire Earn Your Leisure team for being incredible hosts and for building an event dedicated to empowering and uplifting our community. This was the perfect way to end off Black Business August! #earnyourleisure #ontherisetogether

For Riot Swim, luxury and inclusivity go hand in hand. ✨ Known for bold designs and striking details, founder Monti Landers envisioned a brand everyone could connect to. “We all deserve to look and feel amazing in what we wear,” she explained. “We want everyone to see themselves in our pieces and feel confident and stylish. That’s what makes Riot Swim unique.” Her social strategy has focused on authentically bringing her audience into the heart of her brand’s world—one that includes plenty of posts showcasing their designs on a wide range of body types. “We knew we found the right formula when we started seeing real engagement and genuine connections. Our followers responded positively to our inclusive content and loved seeing a variety of body types represented,” she said. “It’s been all about staying true to our values and listening to our community. The right formula is a mix of authenticity, inclusivity, and a little bit of fun.” It’s a formula that stretches beyond the brand’s organic posts to their paid ads, which Monti says have been crucial for business growth. “Ads on Instagram and Facebook have been a game-changer. They’ve helped us connect with a wider audience and grow our community.” Riot Swim is part of our Meta Elevate Advanced Access program, where they work with their dedicated account manager, Vanessa, to help with strategic marketing and advanced support. “Vanessa has been incredible, always introducing us to different testing opportunities and giving us pointers on how to up our game,” Monti said, adding that the insights and support have been invaluable. When it comes to their success with ads, Monti shared, “we saw our engagement skyrocket, website traffic increased, and most importantly, our sales went through the roof,” also noting high returns on ad spend, significant boosts to conversion rates, and reduced customer acquisition costs. “Overall, running ads on Meta’s platforms has been crucial for our growth, and we’ll definitely keep leveraging them to keep pushing Riot Swim to new heights.” Share this story with a business owner who needs inspiration, and follow Riot Swim at instagram.com/riotswim to stay up on their journey.

How will Meta’s AI tools help businesses operate more efficiently online? We caught up with Meta’s Engineering Director Aaron Russell after his Fireside Technology Chat at Invest Fest to share what business owners need to know about the benefits of integrating AI into their daily operations. Have you started using any of Meta’s AI tools yet? 👇🏾

Community fave, Black-owned tea shop, and Elevate OGs Brooklyn Tea have proven the POWER that is community. 🖤 Brooklyn Tea co-founders Jamila McGill and Alfonso Wright were guided by a shared passion for tea and inspiration from Ali’s own Jamaican heritage, opening their storefront in the heart of Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood. After being introduced to the Meta Elevate Facebook group in 2020, the pair learned how to leverage Meta tools like Instagram and Facebook Stories, Reels, and ads to stay connected to their customers. When they landed a game-changing big box retail opportunity, they mobilized their digital community and were able to reach $50,000 in sales in less than two weeks. “There would be no campaign without Meta tools. Because of the free visibility and marketing provided by simply having a business Page, we were able to post a 2min video that spread to thousands of people in minutes,” they explained. “We were then able to amplify our voice by pushing paid ads behind the videos that were already doing well organically.” If you’re as inspired as we are by this duo, follow their journey at instagram.com/brooklyntea. 🫖

We’re sharing a resource round-up of grants and programs that’ll help your business access capital and resources to help you grow. Share this post with a friend or fellow business owner, or drop other opportunities in the comments below that'll help the community elevate. #blackownedbusiness

We brought back Meta Account Manager Tyler Stephens, to answer one of your most asked ads questions. Tyler works on the Meta Elevate Advanced Access team. In this program, you get access to dedicated account managers like her to help your business with strategic marketing, tools, trends and troubleshooting to help your business thrive. With this level of advanced support, our goal is to help you make better decisions about what strategies and solutions to consider to help your business thrive through Meta. We’ll be sharing more about Elevate Advanced Access and ways to apply soon so look out for details on our feeds. Let us know what other ads questions you’d like answered below.

Special shoutout to the Black-owned companies that Meta relies on daily for a variety of goods and services. Jason Trimiew, Director of Global Supplier Diversity, shares how their team works to give diverse suppliers across the globe the opportunity to compete for and win Meta contracts. Interested in becoming a diverse supplier? Visit Meta Global Supplier Diversity for more information and follow Meta Elevate for additional resources on your business journey.