At Leaders in Digital, we stay up-to-date on the latest social media developments and trends, so we can keep you all on top of your marketing game! We continuously aim to improve our services and develop timely, new, tried and tested strategies for you. With the on-going economic effect of the coronavirus pandemic, the world’s social media giant just expanded their e-commerce features, which is super exciting!
Facebook has been dedicated to seamlessly connect people, products, brands and businesses all over the world. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, CEO Mark Zuckerberg just announced the launch of Facebook Shops to help small businesses drive sales online. This new feature from the world’s most popular network just brings us closer to a simple and consistent social commerce experience.
Facebook Shops started rolling out in the United States and will be widely available to international markets in the coming months. This is a major push into e-commerce and here’s what you need to know about Facebook Shops:
Introducing Facebook Shops
Facebook Shops make it easier for businesses to set up an online store and to reach more customers on Facebook and Instagram. Business owners can easily create and build their Facebook Shops for free. Once you set up your shop, it will be accessible across your Facebook Page and Instagram Profile. You can also customize the look and feel of your shop. Businesses can upload the products they want to feature in their catalog or choose the cover image and colors for their brand.
Users can find your shops through visiting your Facebook Page or Instagram profile, or discovering your business through Stories or paid ads. Customers can also contact you through Messenger, Instagram Direct or WhatsApp if they want to ask questions, get support or track their deliveries. In the future, customers will be able to view a business’ shop and make a purchase right within a chat in Messenger, Instagram Direct or WhatsApp.
Discovering Instagram Shops
Customers can now browse and buy products they will love through Instagram Explore. In the future, it will be a permanent button on the navigation bar, so users can easily get to Instagram Shop in one click.
Once the feature becomes available, users will be able to browse selections from their favorite brands and creators, as well as filter their purchase by categories like beauty or home.
Using Live Shopping Features
People have been using the live video feature in Facebook and Instagram to showcase products for years. The social media giant also plans to launch Live Shopping features on Facebook and Instagram, which will make it easier to shop for products in real-time.
With this upcoming feature, businesses will be able to tag products from their Facebook Shop or catalog before going live. This feature allows the tagged products to be shown at the bottom of the live video so customers can easily tap to learn more or purchase.
Connecting Loyalty Programs
Facebook is also testing ways to connect Loyalty Programs to your Facebook account. This feature will make it easier for customers to earn rewards from their favorite businesses. Users can also keep track of their points and rewards through their Facebook account. They also want to help small retailers through also exploring ways to create and manage a seamless loyalty program on Facebook Shops.
Integrating with eCommerce platforms
Facebook aims to help small businesses while the pandemic continues. Facebook Shops will allow business owners to create a simple store on Facebook and Instagram without the hassle and cost of building a website of their own. They are working closely with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, ChannelAdvisor, CedCommerce, Cafe24, Tienda Nube and Feedonomics to help small retailers sell more on the social network.
We love this feature and really think it will help you drive sales and engagement, along-side a high-quality digital marketing strategy. Let us know if you need help building your brand’s social media presence.