How Facebook F8 Updates Affect Your Small Business

Last week Facebook announced several changes at its annual F8 conference in San Francisco. Since social media is dominated by the tech giant, any change to its platform influences marketers both large and small.

Here’s what your SMB needs to know about the recent Facebook F8 updates.

1.  Say Hello to Bots

As widely anticipated, Facebook announced that its Messenger chat app will now allow automated message bots that can answer questions and deliver services. These bots can include codes, plugins, button and short links that will help customers to interact with businesses from within Facebook.

But how does this affect the SMBs? These bots are actually good news for small-scale businesses, as now the customer interaction offers faster, easier ways to reach consumers. Additionally, the communications with the customer will be on a personal level. No need to spend extra money on creating a different customer support base.

SMBs should start looking into bots now.

2.  Seeing Is Believing

Many studies have shown that video is far more effective than text. And that’s the trump card Facebook played with its new Live API. To create a captivating user experience, now users can share interactive live videos or broadcasts using different setups and devices (not just through a cell phone).

So how does this affect the SMBs? It gives SMBs more video options on the social network, and it further privileges video as a marketing medium. If your business is not using video on social media, think again. Facebook is leading a video marketing revolution.

3.  Password-free Zone

Another update at the F8 conference was Account Kit. This update establishes that any user can sign in to various apps by using their phone number or email address. This removes the need for login username and password, making it easier to connect with the social network and services that rely on Facebook for login credentials.

The takeaway for SMBs is that using Facebook credentials for authentication just got easier, and this benefits businesses that rely on that form of authentication. SMBs should look at how they keep track of users on their site and consider using Facebook for login credentials if they aren’t using it already. Facebook is quickly becoming the online equivalent of a social security number.

4.  Save for Later

Just as users can save articles and web sites for later viewing using services such as Pocket, now they can do the same directly from Facebook, the company announced at F8.

The new “save button” feature allows Facebook users to save any piece of content–text or video–from anywhere on the web using their FB account. User can view the saved links anytime from any device.

The takeaway is that businesses can use the new feature for better understanding their customers and driving further engagement from their blog. Keep your content creation strategy rolling, because now Facebook users are better able to save content for later.

5.  Show Off in Video

Another feature upgrade is the new Profile Expression Kit. Users can put away those selfies and welcome the new video profile feature, which lets users upload a profile video instead of just a static photograph.

This new feature can be useful for businesses large and small. With a 7-second profile video option, businesses now can highlight more of their firm’s personality or exhibit a short marketing pitch with their Facebook page.