May 20, 2020
Facebook and Instagram have accelerated the launch of Facebook Shops in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced storefronts to close.
Businesses can create their Facebook Shop for free. They can upload their current catalogue (or create one for the first time!) and choose the products they would like to feature. Businesses will then be able to utilise their ‘Shop’ on both Facebook and Instagram.
“I think this is particularly important right now because so many small businesses are moving online to deal with the economic fallout from Covid-19,” Mark Zuckerberg announced on Facebook May 20th. “Physical store fronts are having a hard time staying open, and millions of people are losing their jobs. I’ve been personally working with our teams on Facebook Shops every day the last couple of months so we could accelerate launching it to small businesses who could use tools like this now.”
The creation of a Facebook Shop is free, and at that point there has been no mention of any cost associated with it. As it is deemed a feature for small businesses, it will direct users to the business’ website to make a purchase – purchases will not be made on Facebook itself. However, businesses will be able to use paid ads to boost engagement and sales via the Shops.
Working with the likes of Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Channel Advisor, CedCommers, Cafe24, Tienda Nube and Feedanomics, the Shop has a breadth of options for small businesses to integrate their products.
We are in the dawn of a new age for ecommerce and online purchasing habits. Facebook Shops represents a significant turning point for brands moving their businesses online. We provide expert advice and can drive proven results from Facebook Shops, while ensuring you have a dynamite Product Feed. Reach out to AGY47 – our paid marketing team is more than happy to show you what we can achieve!