Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is rolling out a new feature that allows businesses to manage their separate Facebook platforms from a single point. Soon, businesses using Facebook Pages will be able to link inboxes across Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram accounts using the new feature. The move means that Facebook, Instagram and Messenger will all be under the umbrella of a single app. In an official statement, Facebook Business said, “You’ll be able to quickly scan all three channels for new updates and feel confident that you aren’t missing an important message.”
From the new inbox, businesses can reply to Facebook comments, visitor posts, reviews, messages, and Instagram comments from one dashboard. All they have to do is tap on the specific content they want to answer. Businesses can also look at publicly available Facebook or Instagram profiles to see any previous interactions between the consumer and the business, giving them more insight into current and potential customers. Simply tapping on the name brings up the Facebook profile of the person and past interactions with the business.
According to a statement from Facebook, the updated inbox will roll out to all users of its Pages Manager mobile app over the next few weeks. Pages Manager is a free app those who manage company Facebook accounts. The app helps them quickly manage comments and posts for those accounts. The service will only be available to business users in the coming weeks. There is no word yet whether the Pages Manager will be made available to ordinary Facebook users.
The new inbox feature can help businesses make their workflow more efficient, as they will be able to work from a single platform. Facebook says that Pages are seeing nearly five billion comments, messages and visitor posts combined each month. In the future, Facebook plans to add additional engagement types to the new inbox feature.
This is just the latest in a series of roll-outs designed to make Facebook more attractive to businesses. In October, the company launched Workplace, a version of Facebook for offices. These moves will be especially important to small and medium businesses, since large companies are more likely to use their own applications for social media management.
