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The start of the new decade calls in for a lot of changes, especially in the social media world. Home to around 2.2 billion users, social media powerhouse Facebook who also owns popular platforms Messenger and Instagram are no stranger to these updates as we’ve seen them implement in their platforms the past few years.
But how does this take in effect in our lives? As marketers, it is critical to keep track and stay on top of these trends to stay relevant and engage with our audiences.
This 2020, Facebook is expected to roll-out exciting new features that will most likely be more beneficial to brands and businesses in their platform. After all, more and more brands are shifting to digital channels to create maximum exposure across anyone’s news feed. With that said, here are some important updates that Facebook has in store for us this 2020:
1. Lead Generation Tools in Messenger
This tool is out there but has been in beta-testing for quite some time. For businesses, your ads can now be clicked through and lead you to Messenger for faster inquiries and transactions. This can be found in Facebook Ads Manager. Messenger will simplify customers’ answers with automated questions in a direct, conversational way that brands can quickly jump into to continue the conversation and complete the conversion process. This will allow businesses to integrate their CRM provider to continue the conversation and track leads.
2. Subscription Messaging Beta Update
The use of Subscription Messaging allows the brand to send non-promotional updates on a scheduled basis but unfortunately does not include advertisements, promotional content, solicitations, etc. On the new platform, Facebook’s Subscription Messaging is a big chance for businesses to send messages and provide their audiences timely updates and information. This will help businesses to improve brand awareness and drive traffic to their websites which can lead to increasing sales. This is a great way to promote your business on a more personal level compared to just having them be displayed in news feeds.
3. Discover Tab Phase out
Launched two years ago, Facebook has recently announced that they will be removing Messenger’s Discover Tab. This is in line with Messengers’ continuous overhaul which aims to simply and declutter the app to focus on its core function – to connect people.
4. Calibra
One of the major Facebook updates happening in 2020 is the launch of Calibra. A Facebook subsidiary, Calibra was designed to provide financial services under the digital wallet for the Libra network, a global cryptocurrency built on blockchain technology. This digital wallet is expected to be made available in Facebook’s Messenger and Whatsapp platforms, on top of its own app.
5. New Navigation and Management Tools in Business Manager
This Facebook change is much more convenient in terms of improvements to Ads Manager and Business Manager that allow brands to build ads, manage Facebook assets and permission in an easier and faster way. This is useful for business owners who manage their business pages.
6. Simplified Feed Formats
Because of the new Facebook design, primary text from seven are shorten to three lines for visibility and then prompted to click to view the entire text/post. Major changes in terms of photos and videos from 2:3 to 4:5 aspect ratio. This can help show more content in a span of one scroll.
7. Refined Targeting Options
This 2020, privacy is far more important as Facebook will trim down targeting ads to users in terms of demographics and buying behavior. This is part of an effort to lessen the pop-ups of third-party companies as it was known to track online behaviors outside of Facebook. It is great for individual privacy but a hassle for businesses who advertise on social media. To clear the confusion, Facebook will still target people based on their jobs and life events listed in user’s profiles as well as interaction on pages and posts.
8. New Insights and eLearning Courses
Most businesses need a lot of improvement in terms of selling their brands to increase brand awareness and profitability. That’s why Facebook introduced free online courses for businesses to learn new marketing skills in presenting their brands. This is a great opportunity to go in depth to see how consumers behave which can also help in marketing initiatives for the business.
All of these updates may seem quite unfamiliar and confusing for newer business owners who are using Facebook for their online pages and shops. Fret not for the right partner can help you in navigating the digital landscape, and one such partner is iRepublic. With iRepublic you can get the digital marketing services that your business needs at an affordable cost. Learn more about how we can help you here at www.irepublic.ph/contact