News just in Facebook has informed us that the business page’s template will be changing.
They’ve reassured us that the new design will help us to connect with people who care about our business on and offline. This implementation, which is set to affect the layout of any business pages on the site is called the ‘Service Template.’ So, what does this mean for you?
According to Facebook, 80 million businesses utilise the social media platform to engage with current and potential customers. Unfortunately, in recent years, there has been a decrease in reach and engagement. Lack of engagement could explain why Facebook has updated the layout of business pages to help numbers increase.
Not one to let an update pass us by, Wild PR chose to investigate this personally and went into the settings of our own Facebook page. We clicked on the edit page button and then went back and forth between the standard and service template, which was the one that was recommended to us. We identified three essential elements the service template has, that the standard template does not, which are: services, shop and events.
The service element gives you a space to highlight the services that you offer, for example opening hours, prices and even your menu. As for the shop element, this allows you to list specific products you sell. The event section is self-explanatory, you can list the upcoming events that your business has planned.
There are also now some other new templates to use, which were as follows:
- Business
- Venues
- Movie
- Non-profit
- Politicians
- Restaurants and Cafes
- Shopping
- Video page
Engagement is prompted because, with certain layouts, customers will have the ability to make an appointment or book a reservation directly through Facebook. The $70 billion sites also wants to encourage in-depth customer reviews, so that if you recommend a local business, restaurant or destination, you will be invited to write a detailed account of your experience, going as far as having a minimum word count as well.
This change seems to incorporate elements of a website, yelp and a takeaway, and ties them in with your page, making it a one-stop-shop for your customers. No need for a site, when you can easily book a table at your local restaurant, see reviews, events and even order food all through Facebook.
We are all on board for the development of social media platforms, as this could be a simple stepping stone to bigger things. It will also make it easier to establish what businesses do, what they offer and how you can go about contacting them to get what you require.
Changes to your business Facebook page will automatically take place on the 23rd of August 2018, but, you can continue to use your current template if you prefer that option. Tweet us at @wearewildpr to tell us your opinion on this change. How do you think this will affect your business, or have you already tried a new page layout?