People love Facebook, and people also love shopping, so what happens when you put them together? If your small business is struggling due to recent circumstances with Covid-19, Facebook Shops allows you to connect with customers in a whole new way as they visit your shop, see your story, and make purchases in the relevant apps. So how does Facebook Shops work?
Facebook Shops is a new and convenient way to create your own free online store that customers can access through Facebook and Instagram now, and through Messenger and What’sApp in the future. No matter how large or how small your business, you will be able to connect with buyers wherever and whenever they like. Choose which products to showcase, set up your shop customized to your preference, and select a cover image and highlight colors to suit your brand.
Your Facebook Shop can be found on your business’s Facebook Page or on your Instagram profile, but can also be discovered through stories and ads. Your customers will be able to view your entire collection, saving any products that interest them. If they decide to make a purchase right away, they can either be sent to your business’s website, or for businesses in the US that have enabled checkout, they can purchase directly through the app! Advanced AI will automatically identify and tag products in feeds, allowing users to click-through and make a purchase when they see something they like. Since Shops are native, they will be quick and convenient, not requiring you to switch to your web browser to re-enter your credit card information and select products.
When using Shops from Instagram, customers will find a dedicated shopping tab as well as a destination inside Explore where they can find and buy those products that interest them. If they need assistance, they will be able to contact your business through Messenger, What’sApp, or Instagram Direct.
For customers stuck at home who miss being able to “try on” products, Shops will, in the near future, make use of augmented reality to allow them to see how they would look in those sunglasses they are considering, or virtually place furniture in a room to better visualize how things will look, offering a shopping experience that not even brick-and-mortar stores can match.
One of the more exciting features coming soon involves Facebook Lives and Instagram Lives. For years, live videos have been used to promote and showcase various products, and it’s well known the impact this can have. Soon customers will have the ability to shop in real-time during your live videos. Simply tag products in your catalog or your Facebook Shop so when you go live, they will be visible at the bottom of the video, allowing those watching to easily tap on them to learn more or make a purchase.
Facebook Shops and Instagram Shops are available now, with support for your small business from partners like BigCommerce, Shopify, WooCommerce, Cafe24, ChannelAdvisor, and more. Shops will continue to add great new features that will allow you to be open for business any time, anywhere, ensuring that you can serve your customers even in the most challenging of times.
LinkedIn
21/05/2020
Christian is a British-born entrepreneur and founder of Marwick. For over 19 years, Christian has successfully helped businesses excel in digital marketing. Founded in 2012, Marwick has grown from a start-up to the 11th Fastest Growing Company in Canada in 2020 and expanded into the UK in 2019.