Why Facebook Business Suite May Change Everything

Are you loyal to Facebook’s Business Manager? We certainly are. You know the saying “The only thing in life that is certain is change?” If Facebook didn’t already have a motto, this could be it!

We witnessed another big change on the platform in September of 2020, when the 17-year old company introduced Facebook Business Suite to its rolodex of services. The announcement took place while most of the world stayed indoors and connected online at an explosive rate, so we were certainly paying attention.

Facebook started rolling out changes to small businesses, and are still in the process, so it’s possible your business hasn’t yet been introduced. Simply head to business.facebook.com to find out.

What Is Business Manager?

If you’re already familiar with Business Manager, you can skip this section. If you’re not, Business Manager’s capabilities are of most use for businesses looking to advertise on the Facebook platform. When you sign up, Pages and Instagram is automatically integrated.

Here’s a snapshot of the primary integrations in Business Manager:

• Manage all your platforms and assets
  • Account Ads
  • WhatApp + Instagram
  • Additional Apps & Properties
• Oversee user permission for people, partners, and system users
• Integrate data sources
  • Catalogs
  • Facebook pixels
  • Offline event sets
  • Custom conversions
• Control security and payment
• Respond to user requests, notifications, and general business info

TIP💡: If you’ve been using Business Suite desktop and would prefer the old Business Manager, the good news is that you can always switch back. However, we don’t know for how long this option will exist.

How Business Suite is Different

According to Facebook, the aim of Business Suite is to create “a new interface to help businesses save time and stay up to date by managing their pages or profiles across our apps.” The main difference is that unlike Business Manager, Facebook Business Suiteadds an additional focus on content creation across Facebook and Instagram, communication with customers, and promotion insights.

Here’s a snapshot of the new uses in Business Suite:

• Manage one unified inbox from your customers & set up automated replies
• Draft and schedule social content across Facebook and Instagram
• Access pivotal audience insights to know what’s working and what’s not
• Create new ads, boost posts, and promote your Page (Though still accessible through Ads Manager)

TIP💡: If you’ve been using mobile, Facebook encourages users to switch from the Pages Manager App to the Business Suite App.

Creator Studio: Is it still relevant?

Short answer: Yes, Creator Studio is still relevant. Creator Studiostill hosts a wonderful array of integrations for businesses:

• Manage content across Facebook and Instagram
  • Create and schedule content across Pages
  • Filter easily through scheduled content and drafts
  • Respond to customers from Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram Direct
• Gather engagement and impressions
  • Gather engagement and impressions
  • Understand your audience and audience segments

Long answer: We predict Creator Studio will soon integrate into Business Suite. As mentioned, Facebook created Business Suite to host the entirety of user functions including the content creation, scheduling, and customer communication we currently have in Creator Studio. We don’t know when, but it’s helpful to stay on our toes.

We’ll be covering Facebook’s ongoing changes on our blog in the coming months. For now, click here for more information on the difference between Business Manager and Business Suite.