Facebook works towards better business pages, with a focus on local communities

Business pages on Facebook see limited attention as the number of Pages keep increasing by the day seeking attention of customers and followers. According to a blog posted on HubSpot, the reach to the business pages had dropped by about 52 percent in the first six months of 2016. This could be a result of an increase in the number of businesses but a decline in the number of people who demand the services. As more and more options for a single service increase, it is hard to retain consumers.Many page admins could misunderstand it for a trick by Facebook so that it can make money off them, by making them pay for ads to boost visibility.Considering all this, Facebook is now trying to works towards changing the way business Pages work and look. It will no longer be a space for marketing but also a destination for customers. Facebook is updating pages, in a way that it will make it even easier for people to interact with local businesses and find what they need most. For example, you will be able to make a reservation at a restaurant; book an appointment at a salon; or see most recent photos, upcoming events, and offers.You will also be able to see Stories on Pages to get to know the people behind the business.[caption id="attachment_4912921" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

Facebook overhauling its business pages. Image: Facebook Newsroom[/caption]Recommendations will be made more prominent on pages. People will be able to ask for recommendations about things like where to go, where to eat and more.What users will find most interesting is that Facebook says that it is now expanding its jobs tool to help people find work. Local businesses create more than 60 percent of new jobs, and Facebook will help connect people to the right business looking out for hires using its job application tool.From what this business page overhaul looks like, the emphasis seems to be a lot on the word ‘Local.’ Browsing on the Local tab will lead a list of things and events happening around you. Facebook Local is also a standalone app that people can download to do the same. It is available on both iOS and Android.“Local communities are built, grown and sustained by people. People like your neighbours, your friends and your favourite local business owners. On Facebook, there are more than 80 million small businesses using our free business tools,” claims Alex Himel, vice president of Facebook Local.Facebook says that these are some of the steps it is taking to make connecting with local businesses easier on Facebook. If you want to learn more about them, and understand how you can grow your business on Facebook using Pages, maybe you should read this Facebook Business blog.