Facebook is rolling out a series of updates targeted at small businesses, including audio & video calls in Messenger, live audio rooms, and more.

These updates are coming just in time for the holiday shopping season, which reportedly counts for 20% of annual revenue for small businesses.

Businesses will have more ways to communicate with customers this season, the ability to book more appointments directly in Facebook, and easier ways to create ads.

Here’s an overview of everything Facebook announced this week.

New Facebook Features For Businesses

Audio & Video Calling

Facebook is starting to test audio and video calling with select small and medium sized businesses using Business Inbox in Messenger.

This will bring phone, video, and text communication together in one app.

Businesses can seamlessly communicate and facilitate transactions with customers without leaving Messenger.

These enhanced capabilities can help businesses close more deals by allowing customers to secure hard to find items right then and there.

Live Audio Rooms

Facebook is expanding the ability to create Live Audio Rooms to select small businesses.

Live Audio Rooms were introduced earlier this year and are widely regarded as Facebook’s answer to Clubhouse.

Small businesses can host live conversations on topics relevant to their customers, and people can discover them across Facebook.

Hosts can invite friends, followers, creators or any listeners in the room to be a speaker. Speakers can be invited in advance or during the conversation.

Screenshot from facebook.com/business/news, October 2021.

Appointment Bookings

Appointment bookings on Facebook are now expanding globally. Facebook is gradually rolling this feature out to all small businesses globally.

Small business owners can receive and manage appointments from new and existing clients using their Facebook page.

The ability to book appointments is being offered at no added cost to businesses.

Screenshot from facebook.com/business/news, October 2021.

Changes to Personalized Ads

Facebook is testing new ways to let people know they’re supporting a small business when they engage with a personalized ad.

For example, users may see messages in their feeds when they click like on ads from small businesses.

The message will reinforce to the user that their engagement is helping the small business grow and get found by more customers.

Screenshot from facebook.com/business/news, October 2021.

Updates to Facebook Business Suite

Facebook Business Suite is gaining new tools designed to help small businesses save time and focus on fulfilling holiday orders.

Updates to Business Suite will streamline the ad creation process and provide business owners with new insights.

The full list of changes includes:

• Ability to create Instagram-only ads on desktop.
• New insights to help measure ad performance.
• Recommendations on audience targeting.
• Recommendations on campaign optimizations.
• Easy access to official best practices.

Updates to Ad Creation

Creating ads from your Facebook Business Page is about to get simpler.

Facebook is aligning the ad creation process in Ads Manager to better align campaign objectives with traditional marketing goals such as awareness, site traffic, leads, or sales.

The 11 goals businesses were previously asked to choose from are being consolidated into three:

Automated Ads
Create an Ad
Boost Existing Content

Source: Facebook For Business

Featured Image: Screenshot from facebook.com/business/news