Last week, social media giant Facebook announced a whole new host of features in the works for businesses, with the focus being on connection with customers.
New messaging ads
Currently, advertisers on Facebook can set up messaging ads that direct the viewer to message the advertiser using the business’ preferred platform – either WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or Instagram. With the new ad offering, however, advertisers can choose to have all of these options available. When a viewer clicks to message a business, Facebook will determine which platform is most used by that viewer, and will direct them to message the business using that platform.
According to the social media site, 75% of adults have said they want to communicate with companies by message. By allowing people to message businesses through their preferred platform, they are more likely to reply to a business, as they actively use that platform anyway.
WhatsApp chat button
Continuing with the theme of messaging, businesses are now able to add a WhatsApp button to their profiles on Instagram that will direct people to the messaging platform. Facebook has also revealed that soon, Instagram ads will be made available that link directly to WhatsApp.
Quote requests
Back on Facebook’s main platform, businesses will be able to set four to five questions for potential customers to fill out before conversing with a business to request a quote. This will allow businesses to get any necessary information from the customer prior to a human representative replying. This may sound similar to the automated question options available in Messenger already – the difference being these questions will be incorporated into the Facebook platform itself. This feature is currently being tested out with a select group of businesses, with plans also in the works for a similar feature on Instagram in the months to come.
Business Suite
There are several updates in the works for Facebook’s Business Suite – with the most significant being the ability to manage emails and send remarketing emails through the tool. In addition, Facebook is rolling out post testing – in a similar way to its offering with ads, businesses will be able to compare and test two versions of a post to see which receives the most engagement.
Work Accounts
Perhaps one of the most impactful new features lined up for Facebook users is Work Accounts. These will allow people to log into their business’ Business Manager without the need for a personal account. From issues with personal accounts being shut down to employees being bombarded with notifications from business pages, there are numerous challenges with requiring a personal account to access a business’ page and Business Manager, and this new account type could solve a whole host of issues. These accounts are currently undergoing testing and are set to be released more widely in 2022.
There are several other updates to come from Facebook, and you can read all about them in the social network’s official announcement here.
Making use of platforms like Facebook and the tools they offer for businesses can help to expand awareness of a company and increase leads and sales. If you need help with social media management or Facebook Ads, give us a call at Engage Web today.
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