2020 was full of change, surprises, and constant adapting. Leave it to Facebook to also add some of their new changes, switch-a-roo’s and new “names” to the mix.
The “New” Facebook – FB5
The new Facebook, dubbed FB5 internally by the Facebook Development team, is the largest Facebook update in five years.
For a typical Facebook user, the FB5 changes include more white space and a simpler desktop view. There is also a “Dark Mode” display preference. Facebook is putting a bigger emphasis on Groups, even by switching to a group default feed instead of our typical news feeds.
Facebook Hashtags are Back
Do you remember back in 2013, when Facebook introduced Hashtags on their platform? This was shortly after Facebook bought Instagram and when hashtags were gaining momentum on Twitter. Hashtags never really took off on Facebook, and It didn’t take long for Facebook to drop them and for using hashtags to NOT be the thing to do on Facebook. Well, Facebook has a love/hate relationship with them apparently because now they are back. Facebook is saying that using hashtags can improve your organic reach, and “contribute to a larger conversation” and suggested adding them to the end of your posts.
Creator Studio
Creator Studio is a new and better version of Publishing tools. The great thing about Creator Studio is that it is streamlined with Instagram, and even allows us to schedule Instagram posts! Instagram posts can be drafted or scheduled. You can also search published, scheduled, or drafted Facebook posts for images to use in Instagram. This makes the Facebook/Instagram scheduling so streamlined, fast, and easy. Creator Studio also has a heavy emphasis on video, allowing up to 50 videos to be uploaded at once. Facebook stories can also be created through Creator studio. There also seems to be better insights/analytics on individual posts to help you determine what’s resonating most with your audience. In Creator Studio, you can start typing a hashtag and see which ones are most popular, which can also give you ideas of which ones to use. See the image below on how to find Creator Studio from your business page by first clicking on “Publishing Tools”, then “Creator Studio” in the navigation, and then you’ll be in the tool and able to use all its features.
Online Events
Along with the pandemic has come many ideas and innovations for helping people be able to continue to communicate and do business safely. One change to Facebook Events is the addition of POE – Paid Online Events. Now when you click to create an event on Facebook, you can choose to create an Online or In-Person Event. Online Events include video chat with messenger tools, broadcast with Facebook Live, or an external link that are either free or paid. If you choose to do a Paid Online Event, you set the price and guests purchase admission directly through Facebook.
Facebook Business Manager
Facebook Business Manager is becoming a more important piece for Facebook Page Owners, especially those who use Facebook Ads. It helps to securely house all of your Facebook assets including you Facebook Page and Instagram account, Facebook Ad Account, Facebook Pixel, and the people and partners that access those assets. Having a Facebook Business Manager set up helps to let Facebook know that you are a legit business, and provides additional security so that you never have to share you personal Facebook login to provide access to your assets with others. There are also more business-level ads reporting and options within Facebook Manager. If you need help setting up a Business Manager for your company, please reach out to Vivid Image and we can help guide you through the steps.
Facebook Business Suite
Along with all the changes above, Facebook has also started rolling out Facebook Business Suite. With the more streamlined integration between Facebook and Instagram, comes an easier way to manage multiple pages, comments and messages. It is also said to have all the features of Creator Studio and may be an eventual replacement for Facebook Pages Manager and Creator Studio. Not everyone has Business Suite yet. My Facebook Pages Manager App for iOS has updated to Business Suite, but I still do not have it on my Desktop.
Change is Certain
These are just some of the many changes that have occurred in Facebook with the roll-out of the new FB5 version. One thing is certain, and that is that Facebook will continue to make updates and changes to shake things up for us. If you need help navigating through any of these changes, the social media team at Vivid Image is here for you. Just give us a call (320) 587-8974 or connect online to get started!
