Earlier this year, we shared five things to expect from digital marketing in 2015 – and so far, every item on the list has been implemented in some way across all popular social media sites.
Number five on our list was “online advertising budgets will increase,” which allows room for more hyper-local consumer targeting and increased online spending by consumers.
According to a company representative, Facebook’s shopping feature is currently being tested and will allow retailers to essentially have a mini e-commerce site within their Page enabling a whole shopping experience to occur within the site.
That’s right, soon users will be able to buy items straight from retailer’s Facebook Pages. The shopping features will be under a new “Shopping” section where currently existing tabs for Timeline, About, and Photos are located. Within the shopping section, companies are able to choose whether to keep the transaction within Facebook or redirect to the company’s website.
Facebook already has ads that include a call-to-action “Buy” button, allowing desktop and mobile users to click on ads and brand Page posts to purchase a product directly from a business, without ever having to leave Facebook, however, until now these have been limited to small and mid-size businesses solely within the U.S.
With Pinterest adding buy-able pins for all brands in June 2015, Facebook is just the latest social media site to join the party. Pinterest is currently not charging for the buy-able pins, and it’s highly likely Facebook will also start off the same.
Let’s not forget, with all of the demographic and behavioral data Facebook gathers, the social platform will now be able to collect data on completed purchases. Talk about valuable information for advertisers!
The new shopping feature is still being tested, but start prepping now; the roll-out can be expected anytime. Contact Van West Media today to get a strategy in place for your brand. Our experts are here to help you make the most of Facebook’s newest feature!