Industry News: Updates You Need to Know From Facebook, Instagram, and GMB

  We're back with a brand new industry news blog for you! Here at SOCi, we want to ensure that multi-location marketers are equipped with the tools they need to succeed in localized marketing, and that starts with staying on top of the latest industry trends. This time, we'll cover recent platform updates from Facebook, Instagram, and Google My Business (GMB) and explain how you can implement these changes into your localized marketing efforts to find success.  

Facebook Improves Page Management for Businesses 

  Facebook is consistently making platform updates to help multi-location marketers. The latest round of updates makes it easier for multi-location businesses to engage and manage local Facebook pages. As a multi-location marketer, it's essential to have Facebook pages for each of your business locations. Facebook has now introduced dedicated business feeds that will make it easier for companies to comment, like, and engage on Facebook content as the local page itself.  The latest update makes it easier for multi-location businesses to build their communities and manage those all-important local Facebook pages for each of your business locations. With the introduction of a dedicated News Feed for pages, companies can now comment, post, and like Facebook content from their business profile.   Facebook has also updated its Professional Management Dashboard, which will now be the central location for Facebook business tools. Speaking of Facebook business tools, Facebook plans to add refinements to Facebook Business Suite as well. These much-requested user features include the options to publish and schedule Facebook Stories on mobile and desktop devices, save posts as drafts, and edit scheduled posts. This new update makes it easier for businesses to manage Facebook stories along with other business tools.   If your multi-location business is looking for additional ways to manage your local social efforts, SOCi's Content Manager can help. SOCi's Content Manager enables multi-location companies to manage and deploy localized content at scale while maintaining brand consistency at both the enterprise and local levels. The tool allows you to publish to all major networks to amplify audience engagement with localized shareable content. While improving your strategy for Facebook Stories is a must, it's also essential to focus on other aspects of your local social efforts, and this tool allows you to do so.    

 

Facebook Rolls Out New Ad Options 

  We've got more Facebook news for you! As mentioned in our previous industry news blog, Apple has revealed a new iOS14 update, which will impact Facebook's targeting options. As a result, Facebook has rolled out new ad options that focus on optimization goals. For instance, marketers can now set a Call Optimizations goal to target customers who are most likely to click on your "Call Now" button in an ad. Similarly, there's a new Conversion Leads goal for Lead Ads, which allows advertisers to target leads that are most likely to take action and convert. For a more detailed look at the ad options, check out Facebook's announcement on the release.   If your multi-location business wants to invest more into local advertising on Facebook, SOCi has the tool for you! SOCi Ads PLUS lets you instantly create and deploy highly customized, targeted local ads. With the use of our dynamic text and patent-pending dynamic image technology, you can deploy a single ad that will auto-populate with local text and images across all of your locations. It's essential to make the most out of your ad spend, and SOCi Ads PLUS, along with Facebook's new ad options, will help you do so.  

 

GMB Adds New Food Ordering Button for Restaurants

  This update is for all the multi-location businesses in the restaurant industry who have counted on online food ordering to survive pandemic-related dine-in closures and restrictions. GMB introduced a new "food ordering" tab to local listings for multi-location restaurants.   In this new food ordering tab, businesses can control the "order online" button. Your multi-location business will be able to turn this button on or off and choose the ordering source. For instance, if you'd prefer potential consumers to order directly from your business, you can link the order online button to your local website. In contrast, others may choose to connect it to Favor, Uber Eats, or another food delivery service.   The second section of this tab allows you to control and add a link to the "place your order" button. If available, your multi-location business would link directly to your business's direct ordering system. When adding in this link, including tracking parameters will help you get insights from the conversions. Finally, the last section of the tab highlights Google's food ordering solution, orderingapp.com. Here, your multi-location restaurant can opt into this system if you can't already provide online ordering. Google has waived all fees for this service through January 2022, and it's a good option for restaurants that don't currently have online ordering available.  

Instagram Hints Story Drafts Are On the Way 

  Like Facebook, Instagram recently announced that users would soon be able to save their stories in draft form. The save option makes it easier for multi-location marketers to upload photos or posts to stories and leave them there in draft form until ready to post. Currently, marketers have to upload stories right when they're ready to post, which may prevent Instagram Stories from being used as often as they should.   If your multi-location business hasn't tested Instagram Stories in the past, now is the time to do so. Instagram Stories are an excellent way for your local businesses to share content that doesn't necessarily need to be shared as a post. For instance, if you have an upcoming event at an individual business location, you can share a promotion for the event in your stories. If you're having a virtual fundraiser or employee event, you can share images from the event in your stories as well. You can also re-share content that your business gets tagged in on your stories, which is a great way to engage your target audience.   That's it for this round of industry news. As a multi-location marketer, you need to start implementing some if not all of these updates into your localized marketing strategy. Start testing Facebook and Instagram Stories more before the competition does, and check out Facebook's new ad options. For more support building a winning localized marketing strategy, request a demo with SOCi! SOCi is the central command for multi-location marketers and the all-in-one platform for your localized marketing needs. What're you waiting for? Get started with SOCi today!