Facebook is becoming more than just a social network
Facebook Buttons have just raised the game
Around this time last year The Daily Telegraph released a video about the latest social media network from China, Wechat. It’s the Chinese version of Facebook – risen out of the fact that western companies were limited in trying to launch their products within China’s walled garden.
Wechat has developed into social network site that’s so much more than just a place to share statuses, videos and photos. It’s now a place where people can buy products and services and consumers can pay through Wechat without having to leave the site.
It’s a place where dog groomers can book their next appointment. Where customers can pay for their meals in restaurants. It’s where friends can send money to each other back and forth without the need of bank details or actual cash.
It’s a place where an entire customer journey can take place – from seeing an ad, to reading more about it, to buying a product or service.
West copying East
Facebook has been trying to replicate this model for a while, by adding in ways to add value to the conversion funnel within the advertising offering. But now Facebook can offer more than ads.
In linking up with apps like ‘Delivery.com’ to let restaurants send food or ‘Home Advisor’ to let home sellers arrange buyer appointments – Facebook is actively trying to disrupt services like Just-Eat, Deliveroo and estate agents. People will no longer need to go to another app or website to do this – they’ll do it all within the ecosystem of Facebook.
Plus it all sits as an updated main call to action button on Facebook brand pages.
This is huge – it not only challenges individual services, but the actual need for websites at all? If your brand or product can get full conversions via Facebook – why would they need to go anywhere else?
But knowing how to make the most of the buttons requires testing and learning. If you’re interested in knowing how to make the most of this, drop me a line!
It’s definitely a huge shift from how we’ve seen people use social networks before.
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