Facebook never ceases to amaze us with the unstoppable growth of its platform, and this year has been no different. While it's great that Facebook is always changing to keep up with the rapid demands of its users, it can be hard to keep up with all the updates!
Today, we’re going to walk through the six most recent changes in Facebook ads, including:
- Instagram Reels Ads available to all
- “Optimize text per person” feature in ads
- Even more personalized Shop ads
- Improved access to AR Try-On
- Shops now accesible through Whatsapp
- Customer reviews in Instagram shops
So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
1. Instagram Reels ads available to all
With the rise of platforms like TikTok, Facebook caught up to the short video clip trend when it introduced Instagram Reels back in August of 2020. Reels are similar to TikTok clips in that they’re short-form videos that can be layered with audio, text, and even filters (think funny videos and epic fail clips). And just like TikTok, there are plenty of ways to use Reels for businesses.
Back in April of 2021, Facebook began testing Reels for advertising in select countries (including the US, UK, Canada, and France as of last month).
Then in June 2021 they officially released Reels ads to all advertisers across all countries! This is great news for international accounts that previously missed out on this feature. But smaller, local accounts can also reap the benefits since this feature no longer has any account level minimum requirements for use.
Instagram Reels are served differently by Facebook’s advertising algorithms, and therefore this is a nice opportunity for businesses small and large to increase visibility by reaching a top-of-funnel audience.
2. Optimize text per person feature for ads
Now this one I’ll admit I’m a bit more excited about. There is now an “optimize text per person” option when setting up your Facebook ads. Ads using this option will behave similarly to Google’s Responsive Search Ads in that Facebook will dynamically rotate your caption, headline, or description when showing to a user based on what Facebook's system determines they would best respond to.
What’s great about this new feature is that it’s easy to set up with just the toggle of a button. On top of that, it’s friendly for accounts of all sizes so small businesses and enterprises alike will be able to provide a more tailored ad experience to users. Essentially, this takes A/B Facebook testing to a whole new level.
3. Facebook Shops ads
Facebook Shops are immersive, branded experiences where shoppers can browse, share, and purchase products for a brand just as they would in-store.
Shops ads bring even more personalization to the shopping experience by sending users directly to curated collections within their Shop, depending on the that user's historical shopping patterns. In short, they send shoppers down a path that is most likely to lead to a purchase.
This ad type is still in development!
4. Improvements to make AR Try-On available to more brands
Augmented reality (AR) in Facebook ads is nothing new. It was announced late in 2018 and rolled out to select brands in 2019. These ads show users products based on their interests and then have a “Try it on” option.
But according to Facebook, infrastructure issues have made it hard to scale the feature to roll it out to more advertisers.
According to the same update, Facebook has developed new APIs to streamline the process of importing 3D assets into Business Manager. The hope is to make it faster, easier, and more cost-effective for advertisers to bring AR to their catalogs. They're piloting the APIs with leading AR beauty tech solutions providers and hope to eventually expand to other verticals like home decor and electronics.
According to the same update, Facebook is also working to integrate AR with Dynamic Ads, where products with AR Try On will automatically show to users based on their interests and behaviors.
5. Facebook Shops in WhatsApp and Marketplace
When an ecommerce business sets up a Shop account, they automatically have access to show their products on Facebook’s shopping entities. This includes Facebook, Instagram, and now Marketplace and Whatsapp.
Click to Whatsapp ads rolled out in January of 2018, but now, advertisers can showcase their entire Shop so users can look through the brand's inventory while chatting directly with them about products. This is a great opportunity for brands to connect with their customers more intimately.
In order to use this feature, you will need to have a business account in WhatsApp, as well as the manpower to manage the WhatsApp chat. Learn how to integrate Facebook Shops with the WhatsApp Business App here.
6. Reviews now available in Instagram Shops
We’re familiar with reviews on Facebook Pagesfor business. Starting in summer of 2021, however, there will be a new integration of reviews in the Shopping section of Instagram as well. Members of the Instagram community will be able to post photos, videos, comments, and ratings of products all from within the Instagram Shops platform.
Instagram Shopping reviews improve the buyer's journey in that they can browse, buy, and review products without ever leaving the platform. While this may appear to only benefit Facebook, more convenient purchasing means more online sales for you, so everyone wins!
How do you feel about these updates? Excited? Confused? Bummed you can't yet use them? Let us know in the comments!
