Facebook launches Business Suite app for SMBs
Facebook is rolling out a new app for small business owners that lets them manage their business pages or profiles across Facebook and Instagram.
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The app is called Facebook Business Suite and the social media giant said it will enable businesses to post to Facebook and Instagram at the same time, and manage and receive messages, notifications, and alerts in one place. The interface will also provide access to engagement metrics with a Facebook and Instagram insights tab.
"We're building Facebook Business Suite for small businesses first, but this is a long-term investment to make this the main interface for businesses of all sizes who use Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp," Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said in a blog post. "It is available for small businesses globally starting today and will expand to larger businesses next year."
Facebook noted that Business Suite is not meant for those using Ads Manager for advertising.
The new Business Suite fits in with Facebook's ongoing push into e-commerce. In May, the company announced Facebook Shops -- a way for businesses to set up a digital storefront where customers can browse and purchase items directly in Facebook or Instagram. Additional efforts aimed at small businesses include the previous launch of promotional tools for brands, such as the ability to tag products and feature them at the bottom of live videos on Facebook or Instagram.
Earlier this year, as Facebook released its first quarter financial results, CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted how the company has taken steps to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the products it's developing for SMBs. Small businesses that have already invested in their digital presence, he said, "are increasingly viewing them as their primary storefronts. So we're working on a number of ways to deepen this experience, helping people buy items and services directly within our apps... Overall, though, our business depends on the success of small businesses, so this is a moment where we feel that we're well-positioned to be champions for small business' interests and supporters of important infrastructure that they're going to need in order to move online."