Meta has announced that they’re going to shift their focus on Reels, and their live shopping feature will be sunset on October 1.
What it means. After October 1 users will still be able to use Facebook Live to broadcast events, but you’ll no longer be able to host new or scheduled live shopping events. The feature was created two years ago as a way for creators and brands to connect with shoppers, find new buyers, and connect with viewers.
Facebook says. “As consumers’ viewing behaviors are shifting to short-form video, we are shifting our focus to Reels on Facebook and Instagram, Meta’s short-form video product,” the company said in the blog post. “If you want to reach and engage people through video, try experimenting with Reels and Reels ads on Facebook and Instagram. You can also tag products in Reels on Instagram to enable deeper discovery and consideration. If you have a shop with checkout and want to host Live Shopping events on Instagram, you can set up Live Shopping on Instagram.”
Following in TikToks footsteps. Last month TikTok announced they were abandoning plans to bring a live QVC-style shopping video feature to the US. The announcement came after a disastrous UK launch, though popular in Asia.
Read the blog post. You can read more details about the announcement on Facebook’s blog post.
Why we care. Brands and creators that used Facebook live shopping to expand their reach and promote products will have to find another way. However it seemed like live shopping served a different purpose and demographic, so swapping it for Reels doesn’t make much sense at the moment.
Since you can tag products in Reels, we suggest that brands and advertisers who use videos to promote shift their focus and cross their fingers.
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Nicole Farley is an editor for Search Engine Land covering all things PPC. In addition to being a Marine Corps veteran, she has an extensive background in digital marketing, an MBA and a penchant for true crime, podcasts, travel, and snacks.
