Special to the Chronicle
Local businesses have used social media effectively during the covid-19 pandemic.
It is amazing to see their resilience and creativity in surviving for 15 months, according to Facebook officials.
The social media operators found an interesting indicator of how businesses adapted by using social media.  
New data from Facebook's Data for Good project and humanitarian relief organization Direct Relief show:
• Columbia and Lexington County are both fully reopened but many industries are struggling.
• Facebook postings reflect if a business is open and how much they are influenced by outside events. 
• Social media postings jumped during the “flatten the curve” time in early spring 2020. 
• By early May, postings consistently declined.
• Area grocery stores used social media significantly more than did other parts of the state. 
• Local event postings have remained below those of other major markets in the state.
• Businesses used social media to communicate restrictions and changes in operating hours. 
Facebook officials said they will use these new insights to help vulnerable industries deal with future crises. 
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