6 new Facebook and Instagram features to keep an eye on

1 hour 20. That's how much time the French spend on social media on average every day. These tools have become indispensable to companies, which find in them significant opportunities to acquire new customers.

Food is one of socionauts' favorite themes. The proof is in the hashtag "Food" alone was indicated over 300 million times on Instagram in 2017. So restaurateurs find a particularly interested and alert audience on these networks. But it's not enough to be present on social platforms to capture the attention of this demanding audience: it's necessary to keep a regular watch on the new uses available there, and to put them into practice intelligently. But this watch isn't easy; Facebook and Instagram, which between them have nearly 50 million users in France, evolve fast and never sleep. Here, then, is a roundup of the news and announcements made by Facebook and Instagram this summer.

1. Facebook makes official the creation of its platform for connecting brands and influencers

Some time ago, we explained the benefits of implementing an influencer marketing strategy for your restaurant. 8 out of 10 French people say they have discovered at least one product thanks to an influencer. Their power to prescribe is well established, and Facebook understands this. On June 22, the online giant made official a promise it had been making to its users for several months: the creation of a platform simplifying exchanges between brands and influencers. Brand Collabs Manager" has been designed to facilitate the establishment of relevant collaborations. All brands and influencers have to do is register and enter as much information as possible about the nature of their offer. So, when a brand is preparing an Influence Marketing campaign, it can find on Brand Collabs Manager collaborators suited to its needs. The age, gender, interests and audience of the influencers registered on the platform are analyzed to bring out only the most relevant candidates. The brand can then view their profile, which includes their description and recent collaborations. If the influencer interests the brand, it can propose a collaboration directly on the platform. On the other hand, if the collaboration is unsuccessful, the brand can search for other profiles with similar audiences.

But the relationship is not one-sided. Influencers also have a role to play, as they can show their interest in a brand by liking their profile.currently available only in the U.S., Brand Collabs Manager should bearriving on the French market shortly. For the more curious, it's possible to register on the American platform as a brand or influencer and evolve directly.

2. Facebook stories will soon host ads

More than 150 million people use Facebook Stories every day. With the success of this new format no longer in doubt, it's no surprise that the social network announced at the end of May the possibility of inserting ads into them in the very near future.

These will be 5- to 15-second videos that the user can decide to watch or ignore. Initially, their content will not allow the integration of Calls to Action, but this functionality should be implemented in the months following the first uses. This new tool will enable brands to extend the reach of their Facebook ads, which are currently only visible in users' News Feed. Following the same logic, it will also be possible to share from Facebook to Instagram or from Instagram to Facebook an ad published within stories.

3. Facebook works to enhance local business pages

1.6 billion Facebook users worldwide claim to be connected to a local business or service through the platform. But the social network wants to go one step further, and now says it wants to facilitate these encounters. To this end, Facebook is working on upgrading the pages of local businesses such as restaurants, to make interactions with customers more fluid.

While it's not yet possible to reserve a table directly on the platform, Facebook has just announced that the feature is in the works. A "reserve" button will now be available, as shown in the photo above. The social network is also working on enhancing key information such as the most recent photos or the restaurant's opening hours. Community recommendations, which the platform wants to give greater prominence to on local pages, should have their own tab. In addition, the Local application, which we introduced a few months ago, will now have a tab available directly in the main Facebook menu.

4. Shopping function appears in Instagram Stories

The shopping feature on Instagram's News Feed is such a real success that the social network is now extending its service to Stories. It is now possible to indicate in Stories which products are available for purchase, using a shopping cart icon. When the user presses on the icon, he or she accesses the product details and has the option of proceeding directly to purchase by being redirected to the merchant site.

While for the time being this feature seems to be useful only for shopping, it foreshadows the arrival of this same type of tool for services, and in particular restaurants.

5. Buy and sell products on Instagram

The new version of Instagram has just been unveiled, and brings an important change that can be summed up in one word: "payment". This new option, located in the social network's settings, lets you add a bank card to the application.

Although no announcement has yet been made, this change does foreshadow the imminent arrival of the ability to purchase products directly on the platform, without having to go through a merchant site. This should facilitate the purchasing process for users, who will no longer have to enter their banking details each time they make a new purchase. Once again, this feature is likely to overshadow platforms such as TripAvisor, which offer online restaurant reservations.

6. Add music to Instagram stories

Highly popular with users, "stories" are among advertisers' favorite formats. And with good reason: a third of the most viewed stories have been published by brands. Now, brands will be able to be even more creative, as a new feature has just been added to the platform: it's now possible to insert music into your creations!

By tapping on the music note icon, users have access to a music library in which they can search for specific titles. Even more precisely, it's possible to select only part of a track. If the track you're after isn't available, don't panic: Instagram has announced that it is adding new songs to its library every day.

Instagram: a new chat sticker to start discussions with your followers

A new "Chat" sticker appeared on Instagram at the beginning of July 2019. Thanks to it, it becomes possible to create group conversations and encourage - in your stories - your followers to take part.

What's in it for me? It's a very practical way of answering subscribers' questions live, and enriching customer relations! In particular, it could open up a new form of online booking!

Facebook and Instagram, two complementary platforms

These 6 new tools, already in use or in the pipeline, are a must for communicators and marketers. They reflect new uses by socionauts, future trends and the evolution of these media. The social media website is evolving fast, and adopting a different logic to that observed in the past. While Facebook remains the leading social platform, with 68% of Americans claiming to be registered, it would appear that the net giant is taking a more professional turn, leaving Instagram to take its place as the "social" network. The Brand Collabs Manager platform is a prime example: Facebook will be used as a space for professionals to connect and design collaborations, while Instagram will enter the realm of the application of these communication actions.Competitors in the past, these two social media now belong to the same group and seem to be adopting complementary logics, enabling both the extension of audiences (as we've seen with ads in Stories) and the sharing of skills. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.