Facebook is all about interacting. From garnering Likes to chasing Shares, your entire goal is interaction. Now, Facebook wants to take it a step further. Instead of just commenting on your posts, Facebook wants consumers to take action straight from their platform. Whether that means placing an order for food delivery, inquiring about a quote for business services, or purchasing tickets to the next event, Facebook is here to eliminate the middleman. And they are doing it with a 1-2-3 combo.
Imagine you are viewing the Facebook page of your favorite restaurant, looking at the pictures and feeling your mouth start to water. Until now, you would have to leave Facebook and head to the company’s website to place an order—or pick up the phone and call (gasp!). But with the newest update to Facebook marketing, you can now simply click a button that says “Order Now” and you will be taken straight to the food delivery site to get it done. The same goes for making an appointment for a haircut (through MyTime) or ordering event tickets (through EventBrite or Ticketmaster). Basically, Facebook wants to bridge the gap between the brand and the consumer by making it effortless to complete a transaction.
Another feature that is new to Facebook marketing is the Recommendations options. When the social media platform detects that you are soliciting advice from friends, the option will pop up for you to select this feature. If you choose to turn it on, your request will now show up oversized on the newsfeed. Even better, Facebook will then take your friends’ suggestions and add them onto a map for easy reference. Just imagine asking your friends for the best pizza in New York, only to have all of their votes mapped out for you. Pretty cool move, Facebook.
To help you get out there and interact with people in person, Facebook is also improving their Events tab. Now, you can easily browse events coming up near you, as well as which events your friends have already RSVP’d to. Highlighted events include everything from concerts and parties to art exhibitions and community events.
The point of these new additions is to steal some of the traffic away from other sites—such as Fandango, Yelp, Google, mobile food ordering apps, etc.—and keep people on the platform. It also gives Facebook valuable insight into people’s buying habits so it can target ads more effectively. With these new features, it is safe to say that your Facebook marketing efforts are more important than ever. To give your Facebook marketing a boost, and to discover how to make these new additions work for you, contact Zero Gravity Marketing today.