The holiday season is approaching, marking a vital time for small businesses. To help businesses make the most of a period where many retailers expect to make more than half their annual revenue, Facebook has launched a new set of tools.
The social media giant’s new and updated suite of tools is designed to help small businesses connect with customers and extend their business digitally.
Video and Audio Calls for Businesses on Messenger
Among the raft of new products and features for small businesses is the enhanced ability to make video and audio calls on Messenger. Via the Business Inbox in Messenger feature, Facebook enables businesses to communicate with customers in a private setting, while enjoying the benefits of phone, video calling, and messaging in one convenient app.
Extending Digital Reach
The global health crisis created a digital boom. The trend to shop online looks set to stay for the long-term and none more so than during the holiday season. To remain competitive, small businesses should extend their digital reach, promoting their products and reaching out to and engaging with infinite numbers of customers online. Tools designed to help businesses succeed digitally, like the ones offered by Facebook, are there for the taking.
In a blog about the importance of getting discovered and connecting with customers this holiday season, Facebook wrote:
“To help businesses save time and prioritize fulfilling holiday sales, we’re gradually introducing new tools within Facebook Business Suite and providing insights and streamline the ad creation process.
“The need for digital business communications and transactions is critical this holiday season,” Facebook added.
Live Audio Rooms for Small Businesses
Another key feature of the updated tools is the Live Audio Rooms for Small Business tool. The social networking site is bringing Live Audio Rooms to select small businesses, which can now host conversations on topics relevant to their customers, so that users can discover them across Facebook.
Appointments Made Global
Facebook’s Appointments feature is a free and easy way for small businesses to receive and manage bookings from new and existing customers via their Facebook page. Facebook is updating its Appointments feature, so it is available to small businesses globally. Customers can also book appointments with local service businesses at convenient times with the global Appointment Booking feature.
Personalized Ads
Continuing from the success of its Good Ideas Deserve To Be Found campaign launched earlier in the year, which showed how personalized ads help people discover new things, Facebook is testing additional measures to extend the reach of personalized ads.
Facebook users may soon be exposed to an informational message popping up in their feed when they ‘like’ an ad from a business. The message will inform how engaging with a small business can help the business find more customers and grow.
This new personalized ads feature could prove invaluable in encouraging Facebook users to connect with businesses online, ultimately helping them grow.
Simplifying Shopping with WhatsApp Collections
Facebook is also simplifying the way people connect with businesses on WhatsApp. Users can now view a business’s products directly in its business profile. The company is rolling out catalogue collections to small businesses around the world. The collections enable businesses to organize their catalogs by category, so customers don’t have to scroll through lengthy lists to find what they are looking for.
Again, this streamlined measure could prove a vital enhancement in helping small businesses connect with customers and sell with greater success online.
Image: Depositphotos
This article, "Facebook Launches New Tools for Small Business Ahead of 2021 Holiday Season" was first published on Small Business Trends
via https://www.aiupnow.com
Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead, Khareem Sudlow
