Sadly, Meta is ending yet another service. On October 1, 2022, Facebook Live Shopping will no longer be available. No one will be able to host any new or scheduled shopping live streams after that date (opens in new tab). According to the release, Facebook Live will continue to exist, but you won’t be able to tag products in those videos or make product playlists. The social media site refers to a series of instructions on how to do this while encouraging users to save their prior live feeds (opens in new tab).
Because Meta wishes to concentrate on Reels as its primary video platform, Live Shopping will be shut down. Facebook believes that short-form videos are being seen more frequently, and it is making adjustments. The business advises users to use Live Shopping on Instagram (opens in new tab) in place of live streaming for vendors who still wish to do so. Additionally, it advises users to experiment with Reels and Reels Ads (opens in new tab) to tag their goods in movies.
Short lifespan
Another short-lived feature that some could argue was discontinued too soon is Facebook Live Shopping. Live Shopping made its debut in 2018 when it was tested on a few Thai web pages before going live in a formal capacity in 2020. Furthermore, Live Shopping received very regular updates, so it’s not like it went unnoticed.
November 2021 saw the addition of Live Shopping for Creators (opens in new tab) which allows content creators and product brands to cross-stream on their respective pages without forcing their audiences to choose one live stream over the other. The platform also experimented with weekly events last summer via Live Shopping Friday (opens in new tab). Major beauty and fashion brands came onto the platform to promote their new product lines in an interactive live stream.
What makes the sudden Live Shopping shut down even stranger is that it had a lot of potential to succeed
Analysis: Propping up Reels
As the market develops, live e-commerce shopping has a lot of growth potential. Live e-commerce sales, according to a Statista study (opens in new tab), reached $6 billion in 2020 and are anticipated to reach $11 billion in 2021. Furthermore, it is anticipated that sales might total $35 billion by 2024. If you consider how successful live-ecommerce has been in China, these figures seem feasible. Chinese live e-commerce sales might reach $423 billion this year, according to a 2021 report (opens in new tab) from consulting firm McKinsey Digital.
In addition to hindering growth, the shutdown will undoubtedly hurt companies who depend on live shopping. The Tiny Tassel owner Mimi Striplin stated in a Business Insider article (opens in new tab) that following her first Live Shopping session, her store’s sales increased by approximately 50%.
These figures cast doubt on Meta’s desire that Reels to be given more prominence throughout its channels. You can still host e-commerce live streaming on Instagram, and Facebook Marketplace and Live will still be available. There are alternatives, but is promoting Reels worth shutting down a site that users rely on and has room for expansion?
Perhaps Reels is worth the effort whereas Meta thinks live online purchasing is not. However, a large number of people are fighting back against the dominance of short-form videos on platforms.
After a relatively recent Reels update, TechRadar’s own Daryl Baxter is inclined to cancel his Instagram account. We advise you to listen to what he has to say.
Also read: /https://nextenews.com/2022/08/05/new-vivobook-and-zenbook-laptops-from-asus-are-now-available-in-india/
