Facebook shows a fake brand in this mock-up.
Like Google, Twitter and its own Instagram platform, Facebook is toying with the idea of allowing users to buy stuff directly from retailers’ pages, instead of seeing those items in an ad and going outside the social network to purchase them.
The company is building out shops within Facebook Pages that would function as mini e-commerce sites, reports Buzzfeed News, acting like a second home for retailers and brands who want to not only engage with customers, but get them to buy products while they’re being social.
“With the shop section on the page, we’re now providing businesses with the ability to showcase their products directly on the page,” Facebook product marketing manager Emma Rodgers told BuzzFeed News.
Online commerce and digital advertising are both growing, notes Buzzfeed, so it makes sense to partner the two with social media. Go where the people are already posting cat videos and baby photos, advertise to them and then help them buy what you’ve just convinced them they need.
This move also aligns with Facebook’s recent push into commerce, including a feature for its Messenger app that’s in the works and could help consumers research products they might be interested in buying.
Facebook says there are shops numbering in the double digits currently, with plans to expand, although it wouldn’t share any of the names of businesses in the pilot program right now. The mock-up shown above is for a fake brand, and shows what future business’ pages could look like.
The social network says eventually the shop idea could move beyond commerce businesses and spread to public figures, sports teams or groups, though so far it’s too early to tell if that will happen.
“We’ll continue to add incremental features and capabilities to Pages because they are such an important part of the consumer experience on Facebook,” Facebook’s Rodgers told Buzzfeed.
Facebook Takes Big Step Forward On Commerce, Builds Shops Into Pages [Buzzfeed]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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