Facebook Announces The Launch Of Facebook Shops, Instagram Shop, Live Shopping Features & Loyalty Program Integration
Source: Facebook
Facebook is looking to make a significant impact in the e-commerce world and support small businesses at the same time.
Today we're introducing Facebook Shops, which will make it easy for businesses to set up a single online store on both @facebookapp and @instagram, and soon @messenger and @WhatsApp too pic.twitter.com/bBloRGBFzP
— Facebook (@Facebook) May 19, 2020
Yesterday (May 19th), Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Facebook Live and revealed the launch of Facebook Shops as well as other new e-commerce related features and tools across the Facebook family of apps.
“We want to give people a place to experience the joy of shopping versus the chore of buying. And we want to help small businesses adapt and make it easier for people to discover and shop for things they love. Right now many small businesses are struggling, and with stores closing, more are looking to bring their business online. Our goal is to make shopping seamless and empower anyone from a small business owner to a global brand to use our apps to connect with customers,” the platform said in a blog post.
Facebook Shops
Facebook Shops is a new product that enables businesses to create free digital storefronts across Facebook and Instagram that are supported by Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, ChannelAdvisor, and others. Businesses can choose specific products from their catalog that they want to feature in their Shop and customize their Shop by selecting a cover image and a color scheme.
Shops are available on a business' Facebook Page and Instagram profile and can be shared and discovered through Stories and ads. When users visit a Shop, they can browse products, save products, and purchase products directly in-app for businesses that have Checkout enabled. Additionally, users can access WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram Direct to communicate with businesses, ask for support, track shipments, and much more.
Facebook Shops is already starting to roll out, but it’s expected that it will be available more widely in the coming months.
Along with Facebook Shops, Facebook announced Instagram Shop, new live shopping features, and loyalty program integration.
Instagram Shop
This summer, Facebook will start rolling out Instagram Shop, which is a new shopping experience in Instagram Explore. With Instagram Shop, users can browse products from different brands and creators, filter products by categories, and make purchases. The experience is very similar to what I had shared in a previous post earlier this month.
Live Shopping Features
As live streaming adoption continues to increase, Facebook plans to give brands and creators the ability to tag products from a Facebook Shop or their catalog before going live on Facebook Live or Instagram Live. Products that are tagged will then be displayed at the bottom of the live stream, making it easier for viewers to learn more about the product and make a purchase.
“People have been using live video on our apps to showcase products for years, from shoe stores announcing new sneakers to beauty influencers trying on different lipsticks. Now, we’re making it easier to shop for products in real-time,” the platform said.
These features are currently being tested with a select group of businesses and will be available to more businesses down the line.
Source: Facebook
Loyalty Program Integration:
Facebook is testing a new feature that will allow businesses to connect their loyalty program to their Facebook account. This will enable businesses to easily keep track of points and rewards for their loyalty programs and manage them through Facebook Shops.
Insights & Analysis:
Facebook Shops is a potential game-changer. Facebook has been dipping its toes in e-commerce for the last few years, rolling out new features and tools across its family of apps. But, the launch of Facebook Shops is the company showing its full-commitment to e-commerce and its desire to own a significant share of the e-commerce market.
As with many of its recent new features, tools, and experiences, Facebook Shops was already in the works, but COVID-19 accelerated the launch of it. Given the significant impact that the pandemic is having on small businesses, Facebook Shops comes at an appropriate time that unfortunately features many businesses closing their physical locations due to stay at home and social distancing advisories and struggling to stay afloat without an online presence.
However, Facebook Shops makes it very easy for businesses of all sizes to seamlessly move their businesses online, leverage the power of social media, and potentially lessen the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses. In addition to being a tool for businesses to go digital, Facebook Shops likely will drive a higher volume of transactions and increased conversion rates than other e-commerce platforms. The integration across multiple Facebook-owned apps, the number of users on these apps, and features like Checkout make the process of discovering products and purchasing products seamless.
Although the birth of Facebook Shops is the biggest news, I’m also intrigued by the upcoming live shopping features for Facebook Live and Instagram Live. Live streaming has been booming over the last two months and as a result, brands and creators are starting to come together for live stream influencer marketing campaigns. This likely will increase, making the live shopping features even more valuable when it comes to brands and creators generating awareness for products and driving purchases.
In all, I’m looking forward to seeing how Facebook Shops plays out. Thanks to social commerce, Facebook has the potential to challenge Amazon in the e-commerce world.
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Source: Facebook
