Social Media Influencer Launches Free Guide to Support Local Businesses

A complimentary shopping guide, designed to promote independent small businesses, has been developed by a social media influencer. Amy Langston, known online as Bab About Town, has featured over 200 businesses spanning Birmingham, Warwickshire, and Staffordshire within this guide. The initiative began in 2021, prompted by her observation of businesses facing difficulties during lockdown, with “not many knew if they could survive.” “Christmas is a very tough time for businesses and I thought my platform could help,” she stated. Ms Langston, who commands an Instagram following exceeding 50,000, leverages her platform to highlight various places of interest. “The posts bring a lot of people from other cities to Birmingham, one viral video is all it takes and I think it’s pretty special really,” she commented. The compilation of the shopping guide typically requires approximately four months of Ms Langston’s time, and she remains “always on the go” as she incorporates new businesses seeking inclusion. Numerous businesses have expressed being “over the moon” with the guide’s impact, and Ms Langston has received abundant messages of commendation, which she described as “overwhelming.” “It’s really lovely to have so many people rely on you to do this, normal people, even my mum,” Ms Langston remarked. She added, “It’s just nice to do something for the community and for Birmingham.” Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.