What 2020 changed for Facebook Marketers

Throughout the global health crisis and the unprecedented fallout which 2020 brought to our plates, there’s one digital marketing platform that has weathered everything life throws at it. Facebook, despite the continued exodus of ‘cool’ teens to Tik Tok, has remained a giant in the social media scene, and when it comes to effective online advertising, businesses that don’t have an established Facebook presence may as well just go home. As we wrap up a year that’s been nothing short of ridiculous for business globally, Zebra 360 digital marketing agency takes a peek at some of the best tools and changes Facebook Pages brought to the social media marketing industry- and why you need to look at implementing them in your own campaigns.

Facebook (and Instagram) shops

While you may be asking why this wasn’t implemented earlier, it’s here now! Shops allow you to create a unique shopping experience for customers, giving them a virtual storefront to browse on your Facebook Page. At a time when online shopping has become a stalwart of the human experience, the timing couldn’t be better

COVID-19 related changes

Facebook would also use 2020 to launch their COIVID-19 Business Resources Hub, where you can access tools to help you refine your online presence and improve your business throughout the global health crisis. They would also introduce the ‘COVID-19’ tag for posts, allowing you to tag any relevant post. This was used to highlight store changes to health policies, introduce customer safety protocols, and even to make sure consumers could see service changes and inventory shifts you made

Temporary Service Changes

 Talking about service changes, they also made sure it was easier than ever for businesses to keep customers informed of the changes the global health crisis made in their daily operations. Whether it was temporary closure, shift to online services, or a delivery and pickup program, customers can clearly communicate to clients exactly what’s going on.

Digital Gift Cards

You’re now able to implement gift card purchases online for use in your business. Not only did this offer a lifeline to businesses forced to a temporary closure, it became a fantastic way for communities to show support for loved businesses, and a great new potential revenue stream for pages. 

Video Creation Kit

With vlogging still on the rise as a content creation strategy, Facebook created a series of templates you can use to easily create thoughtful video content for your page. The intention was to help with gift card sales as well as announce changes like curbside pickup, but there’s plenty of other ways a smart marketer can use the kit.

Changes to monetization and help

Of course, Facebook itself was not immune to the effects of the virus, reduced working capacity, and global lockdowns. There was a noted impact on monetisation early in the year, although capacity was quickly restored for most languages. They also acted to get ‘self-help’ tutorials online for many business resources, hoping to alleviate the live service calls required on common topics at a time when global staffing was low. 

Facebook’s quick adaptation to global circumstances, as well as dedication to releasing more and more business tools for its customers, has been a key part of keeping the social media giant relevant, especially to digital marketers. While the global health crisis is far from over, it will be interesting to see what 2021 brings for the platform. Zebra 360 Digital Marketing Agency will be there to help our customers position themselves to their very best on the popular platform.