Meta launches new tools to help small businesses communicate with customers

(Image credit: Meta)

To commemorate National Small Business Week, Meta has announced a number of new tools to help businesses manage conversations and ads as well as generate leads.

According to a new press release from the company, businesses have had a lot of success getting discovered by new customers and having conversations using Facebook and Instagram ads that open to a WhatsApp chat. In order to make it easier to create these kinds of ads, Meta will soon make it possible to create full ads directly from the WhatsApp Business app.

As businesses using the company’s Inbox are already managing customer messages across Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct all in one place. Now though, Meta plans to bring WhatsApp to Inbox as well so that multiple people at an organization can manage messages in Inbox from the same WhatsApp number on multiple devices to help save time and boost productivity.

Improved lead generation and customer acquisition

By using lead generation tools, SMBs can grow their customer base by finding new customers and initiating relationships with them which is why Meta is expanding end-to-end management of lead generation on its platform with several new features.

First off, the free product Quote request on Instagram will allow businesses to put a “Get Quote” button on their Instagram profile as well as use “Get Quote” stickers in Stories. With either option, businesses can set up custom questionnaires for customers to fill out before starting a conversation about a quote.

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Businesses will also soon be able to pursue promising leads using lead filtering in Lead Ads Instant Forms. Customer responses to a multiple-choice question can then be used to filter leads that may not be a good fit for an organization.

Meta is also in the process of testing a more flexible and personalized Instant Form that allows businesses to add visuals and content in the form so that they can share more visual information about their company and nurture the interest of potential customers.

Finally, Meta Business Suite users can now download lead information directly to their own CRM to follow up with potential customers more quickly.

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After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.