Thanks to Facebook, it just got easier for small- 
and mid-sized businesses to manage their social media accounts and communicate with customers.
The social media giant recently launched a new feature that allows small businesses to link their Facebook, Instagram and Facebook Messenger accounts together to more efficiently and effectively interact with customers.
An inbox for all
The new feature, called a Universal Inbox, will allow social media managers to keep track of the comments, reviews and direct messages they receive from customers on each of the three channels--in a single place, without toggling between phones and apps.
In the past, employees responsible for managing social media had to scurry to manage their organizations online presences. Many reported to Facebook they were frequently forced to toggle between different apps for each channel and often different phones just to stay on top of conversations taking place on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.
Facebook listened, understood how big the burden was becoming (the company says pages receive nearly 5 billion comments, messages and visitor posts combined every month) and responded by developing a solution.
Why use the Universal Inbox
The Universal Inbox may not be for everyone. Facebook makes it clear if you are comfortable with your current processes, you don't need to change a thing.
But if you're spending entirely too much time toggling between apps and phones, there are several great reasons to use the Universal Inbox:
- Time. Time is money, and the more time you spend switching in and out of apps and picking up and putting down different phones, the less time you're spending on other tasks.
The Universal Inbox is a major time-saver and therefore has the potential to make your company more money. - Knowledge. Knowledge is power and managing your Facebook, Instagram and Messenger accounts through the Universal Inbox allows you to easily get information about the people with whom you interact.
One tap on the app gives you access to customers' public profiles and previous interactions with your business, allowing you to use that knowledge to personalize messages to them. - Confidence. It can be easy to miss something when you're hurrying to monitor and manage your social media accounts. The new Universal Inbox app allows you to quickly scan Facebook, Instagram and Messenger for new updates and know with precision you're not missing anything.
That's the kind of confidence that saves you time, energy and effort.
Get started in three steps
According to Facebook, the universal inbox will roll out to users around the world in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can start getting ready to leverage the tool for your inbound marketing efforts in three steps:
1) Connect your Facebook and Instagram accounts by clicking on the messaging icon at the bottom of your Page
2) Stay on top of your social media activity so you don't miss anything
3) Download the "Jump Start Your Inbound Marketing" guide from Adtack.
