Facebook Updates Business Tools Amid Ad Targeting Concerns

Facebook Adapts to Privacy Shifts with New Business Tools

Today, Facebook announced a suite of new products and features designed for business owners. This launch follows challenges to its advertising targeting capabilities stemming from Apple’s enhanced privacy features. These features now empower mobile users to decline tracking across iOS applications.

Facebook has consistently maintained that Apple’s modifications would negatively affect small businesses reliant on Facebook ads for customer reach. However, attempts to halt these changes proved unsuccessful.

A New Era of User Privacy

The market is transitioning towards a greater focus on user privacy. Personalization and targeted advertising are increasingly becoming opt-in experiences. Consequently, Facebook is compelled to address the needs of its advertising clientele in innovative ways.

As consumer tracking diminishes – with studies indicating limited opt-in rates – Facebook is introducing features to help businesses effectively reach relevant audiences.

Expanding Business Discovery

Earlier this year, Facebook initiated testing of a feature enabling users to explore businesses directly from beneath News Feed posts. Users could tap on topics of interest – such as beauty, fitness, or clothing – to discover related businesses and content.

This feature allows users to encounter new businesses they might enjoy, while simultaneously enabling Facebook to build a proprietary dataset of user content preferences. It potentially could evolve into a paid placement opportunity for businesses over time.

Facebook will now broaden the availability of this feature to more users across the U.S., as well as launching it in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, and the U.K.

Streamlining Customer Communication

Businesses can already utilize ads that encourage direct messaging on Facebook’s platforms – Messenger, Instagram Direct, or WhatsApp. Now, they can select all available messaging platforms.

Facebook will intelligently default to the chat app where a conversation is most likely to be productive, optimizing the user experience.

Integrating WhatsApp and Instagram

The company is integrating WhatsApp with Instagram. Many businesses utilize Instagram for marketing and storefronts, but rely on WhatsApp for customer communication and support.

Businesses will now be able to add a WhatsApp click-to-chat button to their Instagram profiles, facilitating seamless customer interaction.

This integration represents a further consolidation of Facebook’s applications, occurring amidst regulatory scrutiny and potential antitrust concerns. The interconnection of Messenger and Instagram messaging services already complicates potential disassembly efforts.

Soon, businesses will have the ability to create ads that direct users from the Instagram app directly to WhatsApp. This functionality mirrors existing ad options on Facebook.

Furthermore, Facebook has launched a new business directory within WhatsApp, enabling consumers to discover local shops and services on the chat platform.

Enhancements to Facebook Business Suite

Updates to Facebook Business Suite are also being introduced. Businesses will be able to manage emails through Inbox and deploy remarketing campaigns.

A new File Manager will aid in content creation, management, and posting. Additionally, a feature allowing A/B testing of post variations will help businesses optimize content performance.

New Tools and Incentives

New products include trials of paid and organic lead generation tools on Instagram. Quote requests on Messenger will allow customers to submit preliminary information before initiating conversations.

Small businesses will gain access to a bundled set of tools to facilitate Facebook advertising, including an ad coupon and complimentary access to QuickBooks for three months or Canva Pro for three months.

Introducing “Work Accounts”

Facebook will begin testing “Work Accounts,” allowing business owners to access business products – such as Business Manager – separately from their personal Facebook accounts.

This will enable management of accounts on behalf of employees and support single sign-on integrations.

Testing will occur throughout the remainder of the year with a limited group of businesses, with broader availability anticipated in 2022.

Future plans include incorporating more content from creators and local businesses, alongside new features offering users greater control over their content feeds. Details regarding these changes will be released at a later date.

The majority of these announced products are either available now or will be implemented shortly.