Following the threat to its ad-targeting business posed by Apple’s new privacy features, which now allow mobile users to opt-out of being tracked across their iOS apps, Facebook announced the launch of new products and capabilities for company owners. Small businesses that rely on Facebook ads to reach their clients will be impacted by Apple’s changes, according to the social networking giant. However, it was unsuccessful in halting any of Apple’s adjustments. Instead, the market is moving into a new era that is more concerned with user privacy, with personalization and targeting becoming more of an opt-in experience. As a result, Facebook has had to adapt its approach to its business advertiser base.
As the capacity to track customers fade — studies show that only a small percentage of people want to be tracked — Facebook is introducing new options that will help businesses better place themselves in front of targeted audiences. This includes changes that will allow them to reach out to clients, advertise to them, chat with them on Facebook apps, create leads, and gain customers, among other things.
Customers can explore businesses from beneath News Feed stories by tapping on subjects they’re interested in, including beauty, fitness, and clothes, and then exploring material from other connected businesses, which the firm began testing earlier this year. The function helps consumers to discover new businesses they might enjoy, as well as allowing Facebook to build its database of users who enjoy specific types of content. It’s possible that, in the future, the feature will be turned into an ad unit, with firms paying for greater placement.
For the time being, Facebook will roll out this tool to more users in the United States, as well as in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
Facebook is also making it easier for businesses to communicate with their clients through the platform. They may already buy ads on Facebook’s many chat services, including Messenger, Instagram Direct, and WhatsApp, to entice others to message them. They’ll be able to select all of the messaging platforms where they’re accessible, and Facebook will use the chat app featured in the ad as the default based on where the conversation is most likely to take place.
As part of this attempt, the business will also link WhatsApp to Instagram. According to Facebook, many businesses use Instagram to sell themselves or manage shops but rely on WhatsApp to communicate with consumers and answer problems. As a result, companies will be able to add a WhatsApp click-to-chat button to their Instagram profiles.
This development, in particular, indicates yet another step toward tying Facebook’s various programmes closer together, at a time when antitrust regulators are considering breaking up the company. Facebook has already combined its Messenger and Instagram chat systems, making disassembling them more difficult. It has also lately begun to integrate Messenger directly into Facebook’s platform.
In a related development, businesses will soon be able to create ads that link people to WhatsApp directly from the Instagram app. (This type of ad is also available on Facebook.) Separately, Facebook announced the debut of a new business directory on WhatsApp, allowing users to search for businesses and services using the messaging app.
An upgrade to Facebook Business Suite is another set of modifications that will be made. Organizations will be able to manage emails and send remarketing emails through Inbox; create, manage, and post material using a new File Manager; and use a tool that allows businesses to test several versions of a post to discover which one is most effective.
Other new products include Instagram tests of paid and organic lead generation tools; quote requests on Messenger, where customers answer a few questions before their conversations; and a way for small businesses to access a bundle of tools to get started with Facebook ads, which includes a Facebook ad coupon plus free access to QuickBooks for three months or free access to Canva Pro for three months.
Facebook will also begin testing “Work Accounts,” which would allow business owners to access their company’s products, such as Business Manager, independently from their personal Facebook account. They’ll be able to administer these accounts on behalf of employees and integrate single sign-on.
Work Accounts will be tested with a select group of businesses for the rest of the year, with Facebook stating that access will be expanded in 2022. Other initiatives include plans to incorporate more material from artists and local businesses, as well as new capabilities that allow users to decide what they view, but these improvements have yet to be revealed.
