06 Jun Facebook Announces New Changes for Facebook and Instagram
During the 10th F8 conference, a Facebook conference for developers, Facebook announced some major changes that they plan to implement in the coming year. Some of these changes mean an inevitable switch in social media strategy for businesses, from branding engagement to paid ads. You can learn more about all the changes announced here, but today we will focus on some of the main things that will affect your next social media marketing plan.
The new focus and goal for Facebook is to create a private environment and an atmosphere of community. This has led the company to redesign their mobile and desktop interface in a way that centers on “Groups.” Facebook has included a direct access to Groups on the main bar menu, and also a button at the top of the app which will allow users to quickly add more Groups to their dashboards. This new dashboard offers users the possibility to find new Groups created by users that share their same interests. There will be a feature inside Groups that will allow users to make “New Friends” and potentially meet them in person. This means that the news feed will take a second place of importance on this new interface; the button for News Feeds is smaller on this new redesign than the one for Groups. This change will create a limited opportunity for organic reach for business pages, which will leave businesses left to embrace Facebook Ads (paid advertising) and to create and manage brand Groups.
What About Instagram? Isn’t Everyone Moving There, Anyway?
Facebook is becoming more friends- and family- oriented, but what is happening with Instagram? Instagram has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years, especially with the rise of influencer marketing. Instagram allows users to follow businesses and influencers who can advertise their products directly from their posts. Businesses and influencers are able to show priced items on their profile posts and lead users to their websites for purchase. Up until now, the way this works has been unique to Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. Facebook has announced a future feature, which will allow users to shop directly on the app, too. This is a great advantage for users and businesses. This experience will increase opportunities for users to convert into customers faster. This feature is in a beta test stage for now with a few well-known influencers.
All these changes may leave you wondering, what is next for your business social media strategy? How should your business and brand interact with users in this new world? Though social media may seem an easy road to navigate, there is so much more from a business perspective to learn. Having the right team to manage and direct your business social media strategy is crucial in this ever-changing landscape. This is an exciting time, in which users can interact so easily with businesses and find their needs taken care of faster; however, having the right approach as a business can be the key to success or failure. If you find yourself wondering about these questions or more, reach out to our experienced and expert team for a free consultation on your business social media plan!
