Facebook is world dominating. 68% of people in North America use the platform and 50% in Europe (source Statista)
Since its launch, Facebook has become an integral part of people’s online social presence. For many people, Facebook is the only online social network they use, though the level of engagement obvious varies. Facebook is built around connecting people whether they be colleagues, friends, alumni or professional relationships.
Facebook Business Pages
A Facebook Business Page are free opportunity for companies to increase brand awareness and generate sales via Facebook. Each page can be customised with a banner, logo and information about your business, including contact details. Once a page has been created, the business can:
- Post content, e.g., text, photos, videos, links
- Receive and reply to messages from customers
- Open a Facebook shop (see below)
- Publish an action button to drive traffic to the business’s website
- Collect customer reviews, or display reviews from 3rd party review services.
- Specify a vanity URL, e.g., facebook.com/yourbusinessname
Note: A Facebook business page is a requirement of using Facebook advertising.
WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger
Through a Facebook business page, customers can contact a business via Facebook messenger. These messages, alongside Instagram messages, will appear in the company’s Facebook account. Facebook messenger can also be added to a website where it can be used to power website live chat. The advantage of using Facebook Chat on a website is that most people already have a Facebook account, making it a reassuring experience.
Similarly, WhatsApp can be used for business communication, but it is not easy to use like Facebook Messenger. However, Facebook will be combing their messenger together with WhatsApp shortly.
Facebook/Instagram Shops
Facebook business accounts can import a product feed that can be used to promote products across Facebook. The products can be used in carousel ads or to populate a Facebook and Instagram storefront.
On the Facebook storefront, products are arranged into collections. If a user clicks on a product, currently they will be redirected to the business’s website. Whilst Facebook’s eCommerce offering is limited, is it an area of focus for them and will undoubtedly develop into a marketplace style offering.
