Facebook Shops Now in Groups & Live Shopping for Creators

Facebook Introduces New Shopping Capabilities

Facebook has revealed a series of new shopping features today, including Shops in Groups, enhanced product recommendations, and a trial run of Live Shopping specifically designed for Creators.

Shops in Groups: Empowering Group Administrators

The Shops in Groups functionality allows administrators of Facebook groups to establish an online store linked to their corresponding Facebook Page. The allocation of generated revenue is determined by the administrators themselves.

For example, OctoNation, a group that participated in initial testing, directed its profits to its associated nonprofit organization dedicated to octopus education. Potential complications could arise within groups lacking clearly defined philanthropic goals, though Facebook groups are no strangers to internal disagreements.

Yulie Kwon Kim, Meta’s Vice President of Product Management, highlighted that many group administrators operate on a volunteer basis, and these shops can provide them with a financial return for their efforts.

“Administrators receive the funds, and they have the autonomy to decide how to utilize them,” she explained to TechCrunch. “This presents a valuable opportunity to sustain and support group activities.”

Plans for group monetization features – encompassing shops, fundraising initiatives, and subscriptions – were previously unveiled at the Facebook Communities Summit earlier this month.

Product Recommendations and Enhanced Visibility

Facebook has observed that users frequently seek product recommendations within groups, particularly in communities focused on areas like skincare or makeup. Now, when a user references a product available in a Facebook shop, they can directly tag it and integrate it into their comment.

Highly rated product recommendations originating from groups will now be showcased within users’ news feeds, increasing their visibility.

Live Shopping for Creators: Streamlined Collaborations

While Facebook has offered Live Shopping for some time, the platform is now testing a feature to facilitate smoother collaborations between brands and creators. This new functionality enables cross-streaming, allowing creators and brands to broadcast live sales simultaneously on both of their respective pages.

Expanding E-commerce Capabilities

Throughout this year, Facebook – operating under the parent company Meta – has consistently focused on developing shopping tools for both businesses and content creators. With the holiday season approaching, the company is introducing additional avenues for spending within the Facebook application.

These new features are being rolled out today across web platforms and the Facebook mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices.

Currently, Meta’s primary income source is advertising revenue. However, the company’s investment in shopping functionalities has the potential to generate an additional revenue stream. Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, announced this summer that Meta will refrain from taking a commission on earnings from businesses and creators until 2023.

He further stated that when a revenue share is eventually implemented, it will be lower than Apple’s 30% fee. By establishing a robust e-commerce infrastructure now, the company is strategically positioning itself for future profitability.