How Brands Can Boost Product Sales Using Facebook Shops

Earlier this year, Accenture reported that the global social commerce industry is expected to grow three times as fast as traditional e-commerce, from $492 billion in 2021 to $1.2 trillion by 2025. This growth is attributed to platforms and brands investing significantly in the space as Gen Z and millennial consumers continue to drive the majority of sales and are hungry for more.

Among these platforms is Facebook, which launched its Shops feature in 2020. What used to be a space dominated by small businesses without websites who wanted to showcase product catalogs on their Facebook profiles quickly became a space in which medium and large enterprises also sought to participate. However, some of the factors marketers are considering are understanding whether it's the right move for your brand and the amount of work involved in getting started. If you keep reading, you should be able to find the answers to all of your Facebook Shops questions.

What are Facebook Shops and How Can they Boost Sales?

Simply put, Facebook Shops is an online store where users can browse, shop, and buy products directly on Facebook or by clicking through to a company's website. You can think of it as the shop display window for your Facebook Page.

Due to the fact that Facebook Shops are discoverable organically and through ads, social marketers have a lot of opportunities to optimize their Facebook marketing strategies and boost sales. In fact, over a million people purchase products from Facebook Shops every month, and brands who invest in the platform are seeing significant returns. In one campaign, Kiehl's Malaysia attributed 59% of online sales in part to Facebook Shops, while Pink Tag Boutique reported 66% greater average order values from Facebook Shops users compared to those who bought from its website.

Ultimately, Facebook Shops is proving to be a valuable social commerce platform for many brands. With it, consumers enjoy smooth shopping experiences and exceptional customer service, while marketers can seamlessly integrate product catalogs and increase reach with ads.

Is Facebook Shops Right For My Brand?

Many marketers ask themselves this question. Typically, small businesses without websites sell their products through online stores like Facebook Shops. However, any B2C brand can benefit from this feature, regardless of size or industry.

‍Small businesses - Facebook Shops is ideal for business owners selling online for the first time. The feature is especially appealing to those who do not have a website and need to build brand awareness on a platform with 1.62 billion daily users.

‍Medium businesses - Established brands looking to grow their audience or expand into new markets can also greatly benefit from Facebook Shops. The simplicity and in-platform convenience of the feature make it a no-brainer for these brands.

‍Large businesses - With Facebook's easy inventory upload, you don't have to think twice about getting involved if you sell online already. As customers are able to make purchases directly on the brand's website, it is also an invaluable tool for established businesses.

There are hundreds of thousands of people browsing Facebook at any given time around the world, making it a thriving hub of activity. An additional benefit is that marketers can run Facebook Ads for their Facebook Shopping campaign, instantly reach a new audience, and drive conversions for their brand store.

How to Set Up a Facebook Shop: Step by Step

Now that you understand what Facebook Shops can do for your brand, it is time to explore how you can get started and set up your Facebook shop.

Step 1 - Set up a shop in Commerce Manager

• Log in to Commerce Manager and click ‘Get Started’.
• Choose where you want your customers to complete their purchases (your website, direct or through Facebook or Instagram).
• Then select the business Page where you want your shop to appear under 'Choose your business'.
• In the Account details section, fill out the requested information.
• When asked 'Where people can view your shop', choose between your Instagram profile, Facebook page, or both.
• Under ‘Add a catalog to showcase your items', you can choose an existing catalog or create a new one.
• After checking your shop details, review the Merchant Agreement and click Create Your Shop.

‍Step 2 - Add products to your catalog

You can upload your products manually, use an API or feed, or connect your catalog to an e-commerce platform. You should consider several factors, such as the size and type of your stock and the frequency of changes to your inventory. Dash Hudson’s product catalog integration solution may also prove useful here. The process of manually uploading products is outlined below.

• Return to Commerce Manager and select ‘Add Catalog’.
• Click on ‘Add products’ and select ‘Add manually’.
• A product image, name, and description should be added next.
• In the 'Content ID' section, add your product's SKU or unique identifier.
• Provide a link to your product's website.
• Add the price of your product and select the availability.
• Indicate the product's condition, brand, and tax category.
• Add delivery options and return policy information.
• If there are any variants, such as colors or sizes, add them next.
• Once you've finished, click ‘Add product’.

Step 3 - Customize your shop

After setting up your shop, you can customize its layout and style to reflect your business and create familiarity and identity. 

• Return to Commerce Manager and select Shops.
• To customize aspects of your Facebook shop, click ‘Layout’.
• Here you can customize your Facebook Shop by adding featured collections, arranging products, adding featured collections, changing the color of your buttons etc.

Facebook Shop Requirements

Facebook outlines the following requirements for your account and Page in order to sell on the platform: 

1. Compliance with all terms and policies. These include Facebook's Terms of Service, Commercial Terms, and Community Standards.
2. The products listed on your Facebook Page must be available to purchase directly from your website or Checkout. Facebook must receive the non-shortened domain through which you sell your products when you direct buyers from a Facebook commerce surface to a website in any supported market.
3. Your Facebook Page account must be located in a supported market.
4. It is also necessary to demonstrate trustworthiness through an authentic, established presence.
5. And finally, be sure to provide accurate information, including refunds and returns policies.

6 Tips for Running A Successful Facebook Shop

1. Using clear, concise descriptions of your products will help you create a shop that inspires your customers. You should also ensure that your visuals are of high quality and resonate with your audience. Using Facebook Insights can be a helpful tool in identifying the content your audience is more likely to engage with and eventually purchase.
2. Ensure that inventory is kept up-to-date so that no products run out. Take into account the volume of sales and be prepared.
3. Create collections for your products to help shoppers narrow down their search and find exactly what they're looking for. In this way, customers are less likely to become frustrated and are provided with a seamless experience.
4. Make sure no one misses out on new launches, restocks, and offers by tagging products in your posts and Stories.
5. Find out what's working and what you can improve with valuable shop insights in Commerce Manager.
6. Develop creative strategies to promote your shop such as Facebook live shopping events.

Get Started on Facebook Commerce with Dash Hudson

Using Dash Hudson's Facebook product tagging integration allows brands to create and share shoppable content on Facebook more efficiently. As a result of this feature, brands can now add Facebook product tags directly to their posts and publish them via Dash Hudson. Putting it simply, we make monetizing your content accessible.

Furthermore, Dash Hudson's Facebook Insights allows you to focus on your most important metrics with our topline stats and get a quick view of your Facebook page's performance. Easily create a campaign or quarterly reports based on these metrics and instantly share them with your team and stakeholders. Your Facebook marketing strategy will have to evolve along with your audience's tastes - so take the time to gather all the insights you need to stand out from the crowd.

FAQs

What are the Facebook Shop fees?

As expected, Facebook will charge some fees when you use Commerce Manager to sell products, and the fee is deducted from your payout automatically every time you make a sale. The selling fee is 5% per shipment or a flat fee of $0.40 for shipments of $8.00 or less. Your remaining earnings are yours to keep, and taxes and payment processing costs are included.

Does Facebook shop take a percentage? 

When you sell a product through the Shops feature, Facebook will charge a selling fee of 5% per shipment or a flat fee of $0.40 for shipments of $8.00 or less. The fee is deducted automatically from the sale, and taxes and payment processing fees are also included.

‍Are Facebook shops legit?

When precautions are taken, Facebook Shops are as safe and secure as other sites. Look at reviews to determine the legitimacy of the store. In addition, Facebook provides some precautionary information that you can check out.

Can I sell on Facebook with a website?

Yes, you can. With a Facebook Shop, you can easily encourage customers to make purchases on your website, and medium and large businesses often use this method. However, you do not need a website to sell through your Facebook Shop.