Welcome to the new normal… Mark Zuckerberg has just up and changed the eCommerce game yet again with today’s announcement of Facebook Shops.
What is it?
How do you use them?
Who is this for?
Stay with us and we’ll break down the latest news from Facebook in today’s blog post below 👇
It’s pretty clear that we now live in a post COVID world… Stores, restaurants and retail as we know it may never be the same again (at least for the foreseeable future).
To help small businesses meet these demanding new challenges Facebook have now launched Shops – a completely native store front built within the Facebook/Instagram framework.
How do I set it up?
If you’ve already connected your data feed from your Shopify or Woocommerce store, it’s as simple as a couple of clicks and your store is ready to go.
Your store will feature all of the products from your data feed and allow seamless exploration and checkout right from within Facebook or Instagram.
Right now this feature is only available to businesses in the US, but expect worldwide adoption in the very near future.
Where can I use my new Shop?
As more information comes to light we’ll be sure to update this post, but at this stage it looks like your new Shop will allow you to sell via Facebook Live, from your Facebook/Instagram Page and even get included in a new Explore page allowing users to find your store by category or niche!
In today’s announcement, Facebook shared a preview of a dedicated shopping tab within Instagram where customers can find your store and complete purchases right from within the app! It’s like a virtual mall in the palm of your hands.
Also, unlike the store pages currently available on Facebook pages, the new Shops will allow a suite of customization options so brands can really tell their story. From bespoke graphics and color schemes, expect to see a variety of themes and personalization options as you get to work building out your Facebook Shop.
How will this work with my Ads?
Being a Facebook product, this is where things will get fun!
Expect to see capabilities to retarget browsers, share catalogues, and even target users with your entire store in the very near future.
Shops will also include Facebook’s AI integration to personalize each user’s shopping experience and in the near future, Facebook’s AR tools will be integrated with Shops allowing for completely immersive Augmented Reality experiences with your products.
All of this will lead to a completely unique and unparalleled shopping experience that buyers have never seen before!
Who is this for?
Right now this is only available to businesses based in the US, but expect to see this available worldwide in the very near future.
If you are based in the US and are ready to build your shop, don’t delay! Fortune favors the bold and being a first mover into this space will be key to driving new revenue streams and adoption with your customers.
Last thoughts…
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this new channel as it develops. What’s already clear though is that social proof is going to become more important than ever as customers will be checking back to your Facebook & Instagram pages to learn more about your business before they purchase.
Shops will also integrate stories from each business to allow new customers to take a peek into your brand, business and values so it’s even more important to make sure you’re telling your story and engaging with your community.
Want to learn more?
Check out the full 30minute live stream from Mr Zuckerberg himself in the video player below.
