Facebook has just announced that starting September 13, 2021 they will be discontinuing their inventory partner catalogs. Meaning, third party providers will no longer be able to post ads on behalf of the dealer free of charge. With this announcement, Facebook will follow and join similar sites like eBay and Craigslist in the paid marketing space. With many dealers utilizing these services, here’s what you need to know for the coming months ahead.
What’s Changing:
This change comes as a surprise to some and an opportunity for others. This fall you can expect to see the removal of any posts published through business profiles from third parties. Dealers who currently post to Marketplace as their business page will no longer be able to do so in the same fashion. To expand on that, the platform plans to begin charging per listing to post to Marketplace as a business. Currently Marketplace users can only post as their personal profile unless utilizing one of these partnered services.
Automotive Inventory Ads or AIA will be what most users switch to once the changes are adapted. AIA functions like current free business listings do but come with the added benefit of targeting users most likely to convert or make a sale. The new AIA will show inventory ads to relevant shoppers based on recent website, app, or marketplace visits and user interactions. Furthermore, these ads will be easier to set up and maintain, more effective across different devices, and deliver more ads to interested users.
In addition to the changes coming to third party providers, Facebook also announced that they will be shifting their resources from largely supporting vehicle distribution to expanding features for shipped goods and onsite checkouts via the platform. While these features haven’t been detailed out yet, we are looking forward to learning more about what the social giant has in store for us.
What’s Staying the Same:
While it feels like a lot is changing, there are a few things you can count on to remain the same in the coming season. The Vehicles tab for example, associated with catalogs, will remain unchanged and functional on your Facebook’s business page. User’s can easily visit your page and click the tab to see available product offerings just as they do now. Additionally, users who manually post to Marketplace will not experience any service changes and may continue to post without any additional charges added on.
What Comes Next:
The next few months will be crucial for any dealers wanting to stay ahead of the game. Connect with your provider to ensure they are aware of the change and have a plan for what is to come in the next few months. This change presents a huge opportunity for dealers leveraging the next generation of Marketplace tools to position themselves ahead of competition on the platform. Make sure your provider has a plan to provide AIA specific tools that benefit you and prevent disruptions to your dealership’s marketing efforts. Start preparing the necessary tools to maintain effective marketing on the platform this upcoming September.
Additional Resources:
https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1510143265745613?id=378777162599537
