Published by Neil ThompsonFacebook has always been about connecting people to what they love. That means friends and family, but also products, brands and businesses. For years, people have used their apps to buy and sell things from the early days of posting a photo of a bicycle with the caption “for sale,” to selling your coffee table on Marketplace and now shopping styles from your favorite brands and influencers on Instagram. It was the people who use our apps who envisioned social commerce. Now Facebook are helping them make it a reality.
Right now many small businesses are struggling, and with stores closing, more are looking to bring their business online. Their goal is to make shopping seamless and empower anyone from a small business owner to a global brand to use their apps to connect with customers. That’s why they’re launching Facebook Shops and investing in features across their apps that inspire people to shop and make buying and selling online easier.
Introducing Facebook Shops
Facebook Shops make it easy for businesses to set up a single online store for customers to access on both Facebook and Instagram. Creating a Facebook Shop is free and simple. Businesses can choose the products they want to feature from their catalog and then customize the look and feel of their shop with a cover image and accent colors that showcase their brand. This means any seller, no matter their size or budget, can bring their business online and connect with customers wherever and whenever it’s convenient for them.
People can find Facebook Shops on a business’ Facebook Page or Instagram profile, or discover them through stories or ads. From there, you can browse the full collection, save products you’re interested in and place an order — either on the business’ website or without leaving the app.
And just like when you’re in a physical store and need to ask someone for help, in Facebook Shops you’ll be able to message a business through WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram Direct to ask questions, get support, track deliveries and more. And in the future, you’ll be able to view a business’ shop and make purchases right within a chat in WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram Direct.
More information here - look out for this coming to Facebook soon
