Our Guide to Facebook Shops

On 19th May 2020 Facebook introduced Facebook Shops. Facebook Shops, or Facebook Stores, make it easier than ever to connect Facebook and Instagram users with products, brands, and businesses directly from their profile. Potential customers are now able to browse, share, save, and purchase any product listed in a Facebook Shop without having to leave their social media window or app.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, is positioning Shops as an essential tool for small businesses, many of which have been compromised or have had to close their physical locations and move online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The new Facebook Shops concept takes social commerce a step further than Facebook’s current Marketplace offering, empowering anyone, from a small business owner to a global brand, to use Facebook’s apps to connect with consumers.

Shop conception through to management has been designed to be a seamless experience, one that even the most digitally-averse would easily get to grips with upon first attempt.

The Facebook Shop experience

What is a Facebook Shop?

A Facebook Shop is a free single online store that can be accessed on both Facebook and Instagram. Specific products and collections can be featured in the retailer’s shop. The look and feel of the shop can be customised with a cover image and accent colours to showcase their brand.

Businesses do not require an e-commerce website in order to set up a Facebook Shop, a shop can be created directly within the platform. Alternatively, existing online retailers can create a Facebook Shop and sync their catalogs with Facebook. If a business with an e-commerce website already uses Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace or Wix, then the catalog linking process is very easy to implement.

Facebook Shops collections

Are there any hidden fees or charges?

Setting up a Facebook Shop is 100% free. You’ll simply need to create a business account on Facebook and Instagram to create your shop. Once your shop and catalog are setup, you’ll only have to pay a small fee when you sell a product.

What are the requirements for setting up a shop?

Facebook provides the following requirements for setting up a shop on Facebook and Instagram:

• A Facebook account
• A Facebook business page

Facebook requirements

• You must be a Page Admin for the Page connected to your existing Facebook Page Shop
• You must be a Business Manager admin
• You manage your Facebook Page and catalog in the same Business Manager account

Instagram requirements

If you’re setting up a shop on Instagram, you must:

• Be a Page Admin for the Facebook Page connected to the Instagram Business Profile
• Be an admin of the Business Manager where you manage your Instagram Business Profile and Facebook Page

Once the above requirements are covered, you can add a store to your Facebook page by selecting the ‘Shop’ tab on your business page. Facebook then walks you through the setup steps in Commerce Manager. You’ll then be able to add your products or collections, customise your shop then publish it. The review process usually takes around 24 hours.

Note: Commerce Manager is available in the US only at present. Facebook has not yet confirmed a launch date for the UK, but we believe this to be sometime in the near future. Business Help Center instructions accessible here currently state that:

Facebook Shop features: coming soon

Aside from making Facebook Shops more widely available to countries and businesses over the coming months, Facebook is also investing in other features across their apps, including Messenger and WhatsApp. Instagram Shop, live shopping, and more that will be integrated with Facebook Shop are all in the pipeline, designed to help customers discover products they’re interested in and make purchasing in-app and in-browser much easier.

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