Business Suite is a free tool launched by Facebook to facilitate the management of communication activities of business pages and accounts on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. Read the article to find out how the Business Suite works, how to create an account and better manage your social media marketing activities.

Social media platforms are constantly updated and new options and features that improve the experience of users, companies and creators are launched daily. Among the most important innovations launched last year, Facebook Business Suite deserves particular attention. It is a free tool made available by Facebook, designed specifically for companies aiming at simplifying the management of their communication activities and having greater control of their profiles and company pages on the websites owned by Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook Inc.).

Through a single platform, which can be used both on mobile and on desktop, it is possible to manage company pages, business accounts and Facebook, Instagram and Messenger ads, facilitating the workflow and without having to switch continuously from one account to another, or from one social network to another.

Business Suite has a very clear and intuitive interface and consists mainly of two sections. On the left there is the drop-down menu consisting of the following:

• Home
• Notifications
• Inbox
• Posts and stories
• Planner
• Ads
• Insights
• All tools

On the right, we will see the dedicated section according to what we selected from the menu.

How to set up an account for Facebook Business Suite

The account set-up process is very simple, requiring only a few clicks. Let’s see more in detail how to do it.

Create the Facebook Business Suite Account

In order to open an account, it is first of all necessary to be the owner of a personal Facebook profile. So, if you don’t have your own account, you need to create it by signing up to the social network.

Once you have created your Facebook account, you can log into the Business Suite. There are two access options:

• From desktop, you need to log into your Facebook account and go to business.facebook.com;
• From mobile, it is necessary to download the Facebook Business Suite app and log in with your Facebook account data.

Connect business accounts

Once logged into Facebook Business Suite, you will be asked to select and connect the accounts and the company pages. The company pages we manage that are already hosted on Facebook will be connected automatically when registering to the Business Suite. To connect the Instagram profiles, you will need to check the settings and click on the link to Instagram, enter your credentials and that’s it.

However, it is important to have an Instagram business account. So, you’ll need to head to Instagram and switch from a personal account to a business one.

Once this is all done, you will have access to every feature of Facebook Business Suite.

What is Facebook Business Suite for?

Global overview

The opening page provides a detailed overview of all your business pages and profiles. Here you can view recently published posts, latest promoted content, insights and statistics to understand which strategies work and which don’t. Furthermore, on this page, Facebook Business Suite offers you other content similar to yours, so that you can find the right inspiration and new ideas to boost your creativity for your next posts.

Check messages and notifications

On Facebook Business Suite you can check all notifications, messages and comments from Facebook, Instagram and Messenger without having to access every single platform. In addition, under “messages”, Business Suite offers you the possibility to configure automatic replies to messages from followers and customers. More specifically, you can set predefined messages for:

• Welcoming users: send a welcome message to all those who start a conversation with your company for the first time, in order to create a first contact with the user. This helps to create a more friendly setting, which allows to humanize the experience.
• Obtaining and sharing information: companies that sell products and services can take advantage of this tool to create FAQs that the user views as soon as the chat on Messenger is opened. The answers to the most popular questions have the aim of providing a quick response to users while reducing waiting times and optimising customer service.
• Sending a confirmation: for example, of the receipt of an application if a recruiting campaign is activated.
• Sending a reminder: set follow-up activities when using the Facebook page to set up meetings with customers and prospects. This way, it is possible to automatically send, via Messenger or SMS, a reminder the day before a meeting.

Post content

One of the most useful features for those who have to manage many pages and business accounts is the possibility to create, publish and schedule posts and Stories. Moreover, Business Suite allows to publish simultaneously on both Instagram and Facebook, reducing the time dedicated to these activities.

The publishing and scheduling of Instagram Reels are not included yet.

Analyse metrics and insights

Through Facebook Business Suite you can monitor the results and performance of your activities, including the impressions of the pages and interactions with content, in order to understand what performs best. In addition, this tool allows to learn more about the audience by accessing their demographic information and interests.

Log in to the Commerce Manager

If the company account hosts a shop on Facebook and/or Instagram, through the Business Suite it is possible to have a complete overview of your catalogue of products and services, manage inventory, orders, payments and returns, and provide customer assistance.

Manage Ads

Thanks to Facebook Business Suite, it is possible to boost content and check the results of the campaigns that you have created. By clicking on “Ads Manager” in the drop-down menu, you will be redirected to the Business Manager, a tool with which you can manage, create, modify, monitor the results and download the reports of all the advertising campaigns carried out on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram.

Take advantage of all tools

At the bottom of the Business Suite drop-down menu, you can find the “All tools” button where numerous other tools are available, divided between Engage Customers, Manage business, Advertise, Analysis and reports, Sell products and services and Create.

The advantages of Facebook Business Suite

Time optimisation

Besides time optimisation, which is guaranteed by the possibility of publishing and/or scheduling posts simultaneously on multiple platforms, Facebook Business Suite allows Social Media Managers and all those who use this platform to navigate the different communication channels without having to jump from a social network to the other.

Furthermore, all users who are appointed administrators of a Facebook page can log in and work on the platform at the same time, improving logistics.

Staying up-to-date

By having greater control over incoming messages and all notifications from your pages, you can answer potential customers’ doubts or questions promptly and efficiently. This is critically important because poor or slow customer service often leads to customer dissatisfaction and lost business opportunities.

Previewing posts and taking advantage of (almost) all formats

There are many platforms developed to publish and schedule content on social media, i.e., Hootsuite. These platforms do their job well, however, they may sometime show a preview of the post that does not correspond to the one that will be actually published on the various platforms or they do not allow you to publish in all the formats available on the platforms. With Business Suite, you can get a more truthful and accurate preview, as well as post in (almost) all the formats made available by the platform, including carousels.

Scheduling posts

Last but not least, one of the most important advantages provided by Business Suite is the ability to schedule the date and time of publication of your content, including Stories, allowing to better organise the work routine.

Summing up

Facebook Business Suite is a valid and useful tool that offers marketers and professionals a global overview of their brand’s presence on social networks. Through this tool it is also possible to carry out numerous activities on a single platform, optimising the workflow and offering the possibility for team members to access and work on it at the same time.

Yet, it does not completely replace the features included on the various platforms. As we have stated, the section dedicated to advertisements is not complete; just as Business Suite does not offer the possibility, for example, to start live broadcasts or publish Reels on Instagram.

Do you use Facebook Business Suite to manage your business pages? Tell us your experience in the comments and contact us to study the right strategy to grow your business online.