Facebook Live Shopping Is Sunset and Here’s What You Can Do

You’ve probably heard about the news — Meta has announced that it will be shutting down its live shopping feature to focus on Reels and Reels Ads. As of 1st October 2022, users will no longer be able to host new or scheduled live shopping events. 

While you’ll still be able to use Facebook Live for broadcasting events, you won't be able to create product playlists or tag products in your Facebook Live videos.

What this means for businesses

Live video shopping was introduced on Facebook in 2018 to give users an interactive way to sell their products, connect with viewers, and gain potential customers. As you’re live streaming, you can demonstrate and converse with viewers in real-time. 

But, Facebook found that consumers’ behaviors are shifting to short-form video content, due to the rising popularity of Instagram Stories and TikTok videos. This has led Meta to decide to make the shift to Reels, its short-form video product.

So, what does this mean for you?

Well, if you’ve been heavily relying on Facebook live streams to sell your products and have already built a dedicated following there, Meta suggests experimenting with Reels. Furthermore, you can run ads on Reels by showcasing them as banners or full-screen ads.

You’ll also have to reassess your marketing strategy to align with the changing customer behavior and rising e-commerce trends. 

On the other hand, if you’re running your business in APAC, you won’t feel the pinch from this shut down as the live shopping feature wasn’t made available in Asia.

How EasyStore can support you

Shifting from live stream video shopping can be a challenge for many — especially if you sell a complex product. Also, several businesses rely on viewer engagement during live streams to rack up their following and improve brand awareness.

That said, even though Meta is shuttering their live shopping, you can still continue live selling through EasyStore’s Facebook Live Shopping feature. 🎉

EasyStore’s Facebook live shopping comes with several features, such as: 

• Automated ordering system: Send a purchase link automatically to viewers once they leave a keyword-specific comment to skip the manual recording and ordering of items.

• Auto-respond to viewers: An automatic reply will be sent to anyone who makes a comment during your Facebook Live. This boosts engagement, cuts down on manpower costs, and encourages more purchases.

• Automatic order collection: Reduce human error from manually collecting orders and updating inventory. During the live stream, any orders will be automatically collected and recorded in the back-end.

• Real-time stock updates: Once a product is sold out, your viewers will be directly notified in the comments to prevent overselling.

• Edit product prices: Set a custom price for your products during your live stream to offer exclusive, one-off discounts. 

• Customize your greeting message: To create a lasting impression, personalize your auto-responses on Messenger that appear during your live selling.

• Automated broadcast post: When you schedule your Facebook live stream, an automated broadcast post will be published to your page to generate more viewership.

• Analytics dashboard: Generate a sales report on your live stream performance. Get insight into your estimated earnings, inventory, and conversion rates.

Planning to shift to Instagram live shopping?

If you’re planning to switch to Instagram following the shutdown of Facebook’s live shopping, EasyStore can support your live streams with Instagram Live Shopping as well. 

Similar to our Facebook Live Shopping feature, it recognizes keyword-specific comments and automatically adds products to a viewer’s shopping cart. You can also set up filters to follow up with viewers through Messenger to maintain a good business-customer relationship. 

To add on, managing and processing your orders through Instagram Live can be done easily on one single dashboard. 

Conclusion

Livestream shopping is becoming increasingly popular, as more businesses are taking their business online and finding different ways to market their products. But even with Facebook live shopping sunset, this doesn’t mean your business plans are halted. 

With EasyStore, you can continue to conduct live stream selling without a hitch, on Facebook and Instagram. 

Ready to start turning your viewers into customers? Get started with EasyStore today!