Time to update your old-school item information, folks! Meta changes are coming to Facebook and Instagram Shops, and that means your listings need to meet some new requirements.
Starting July 18, 2022, Meta will change the basic item information they need to display an item. This is so buyers can make more informed decisions before they check out.
So what does this mean for you? If you’re selling products on either of these platforms, you’ll need to make sure that each one follows all the new requirements. Otherwise, your products simply won’t appear in our shops.
But don’t stress! We know that this might be a bit of a hassle, that’s why we put together a checklist with everything you need to change so your products will keep appearing on Meta:
1. Item descriptions can’t be the same as the title
Meta wants you to talk about every little detail about your products. That’s why you can’t use the name of the product as the item description!
Product descriptions are essential for convincing buyers. They should be clear, concise, and persuasive. After all, you want people to buy your product, right? But what exactly should you include in a product description to make it convincing? Here are some tips to write the best description that Meta and your future buyers will love:
– Highlight the features of your product that would be most appealing to the customer. What makes your product unique? Why should they buy it? Be clear and concise in your explanation.
– Use strong language to describe your product. This doesn’t mean using flowery or exaggerative language; just make sure that your descriptions are convincing. Use active verbs and concrete nouns to paint a picture in the customer’s mind.
– Finally, don’t forget to include a call-to-action in your product description. Tell the customer what you want them to do, and make it easy for them to do it.
Become A Certified E-Commerce Marketing Master
The Industry’s Most Comprehensive E-Commerce Marketing Certification For The Modern Marketer. Turn Products Into Profit, Browsers Into Buyers, & Past Purchasers Into Life-Long Customers.
2. Images need to be at least 500 x 500 pixels
In today’s world, a picture is worth a thousand words. And when it comes to selling products online, those words had better be convincing. After all, potential buyers can’t pick up and examine the product in person, so they rely on the images to give them an idea of what they’re buying. And if those images are anything less than perfect, it could mean the difference between making a sale and losing out to the competition.
So, resize and reupload your images!
3. Descriptions can’t contain any links
Remove all the links inside your item descriptions. With this requirement, Meta is trying to minimize driving traffic to other websites. That way, the buyer can complete the transaction within the shop.
4. Items in certain product categories must have a size
When you’re shopping online, one of the most important things to look at is the size of the item you’re interested in purchasing. After all, you don’t want to end up with something that’s too small or too large.
That’s why items included in the next categories have to provide information about the sizes:
● Clothing Accessories
● Newborn & Baby Fashion Accessories
● Costume Accessories
So check out the categories of your items, and be sure to add the sizes if needed! 5. Items have been out of stock for too long
Let’s face it: there’s nothing more frustrating than finding the perfect dress (or pair of jeans, or handbag…) online, only to discover that it’s out of stock in your size. You try refreshing the page, just in case there was some mistake, but alas, no luck. So you leave the site empty-handed and vow never to return.
Think about it from the customer’s perspective: when you’re browsing online, you want to find what you’re looking for quickly and easily. If an item is out of stock, it’s just wasted space on the page–and wasted time for the shopper.
That’s why Meta will hide the items that have been out of stock for almost 12 months. So, if the item is in stock, update the quantity available!
So, what are you waiting for? Get your products ready to sell on Facebook and Instagram by July 18th!
If you’re still unsure of how to change all the necessary information, our team is more than happy to help. Just give us a call or shoot us an email – we would be more than glad to assist. In the meantime, keep calm and shop on!
