With over 2.91 billion monthly active users as of the fourth quarter of 2021, Facebook remains the most popular social media platform worldwide. For businesses looking to reach new audiences and customers, having a presence on Facebook is almost a necessity in today’s digital landscape.
One of the ways that businesses can optimize their Facebook presence is through the use of third-party apps and tools. Facebook offers an App Manager that allows page admins to connect their page to various apps and services to enhance their capabilities on the platform.
But is utilizing the Facebook App Manager and integrating third-party apps really necessary? Let’s explore some of the key considerations.
What Does the Facebook App Manager Do?
The Facebook App Manager allows page admins to connect their Facebook page to various third-party apps and services. Some of the things you can do include:
- Installing and managing apps that integrate with your Facebook page
- Granting apps permission to post content, read data, and more
- Viewing active and removed apps connected to your page
- Controlling app permissions and removing access
Some examples of apps that work with Facebook include scheduling and publishing tools like Hootsuite and Buffer, ecommerce platforms like Shopify, customer relationship management tools like ManyChat, analytics services, chatbots, contests, and more.
Key Benefits of Using Third-Party Facebook Apps
Here are some of the key reasons businesses may want to consider using the Facebook App Manager to connect third-party apps and services:
Enhanced Posting and Scheduling
Tools like Hootsuite and Buffer allow you to efficiently schedule Facebook posts in advance and post to multiple profiles/pages at once. This saves time and ensures content is shared consistently.
Expanded Analytics and Insights
Analytics apps offer detailed data on your Facebook performance beyond what the native platform provides. This can include info on audience demographics, engagement, best posting times, competitive benchmarking, and more.
Automated Customer Service
Chatbot apps like ManyChat allow you to set up automated conversations to handle common customer service queries, route questions to the right staff, and more.
New Ways to Generate Leads and Sales
Lead generation and ecommerce apps empower you to drive direct sales, email signups, event registrations, and other conversions right from your Facebook presence.
Enhanced Page Management
Page management apps provide new ways to collaborate with team members, respond to comments and messages, moderate content, and more.
Key Downsides and Risks
However, there are also some potential downsides and risks to consider with relying on third-party Facebook apps:
- Complexity – Having many different apps can complicate management and workflows.
- Costs – Paid tools and apps require monthly or annual fees, which add up.
- Dependence – You become reliant on external apps, which could go down or cease operations.
- Errors – Bugs and glitches in apps can cause problems like duplicate posts, incorrect data, etc.
- Security risks – Granting app permissions means trusting apps with page data and some control.
- Learning curves – New apps have a learning curve to utilize them effectively.
When Facebook App Manager Is Likely Most Necessary
While risks and downsides exist, the Facebook App Manager is most likely to be beneficial for:
- Large brands and companies – Managing high-volume Facebook presences with multiple team members involved benefits most from apps.
- Ecommerce brands – Apps optimize online sales capabilities.
- Agencies and social media managers – Apps assist in efficiently managing many client accounts.
- Highly engaged pages – For pages with heavy community engagement, moderation and chatbot apps are very useful.
Apps provide less advantage for smaller businesses with just a single person handling their Facebook presence.
Top Apps and Use Cases
Some of the most popular and beneficial Facebook app categories include:
Social Media Management
Tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Buffer for scheduling, publishing, and managing Facebook and other social accounts in one dashboard.
Chatbots
ManyChat, Chatfuel, Flow XO for automated conversational marketing, sales, and support 24/7.
Ecommerce
Shopify, Woocommerce, BigCommerce to power online stores with Facebook integration.
Community Management
Social Locker, Social Podium provide specialized moderation and community engagement tools.
Analytics
Iconosquare, Quintly, Facebook Analytics Tool for data and competitive benchmarking.
There are thousands of apps in these and many other categories available to connect.
Conclusion
The Facebook App Manager provides powerful options to enhance your capabilities on the platform. But it also comes with risks, costs, and learning curves. Ultimately, it offers the most value for larger brands, ecommerce businesses, agencies, and highly engaged pages managing large communities. But assess carefully if it is right for your needs and integrate apps selectively for specific use cases vs. just adding a bunch. With over 2 billion users, Facebook remains a vital platform for brands – apps can optimize your presence, but also complicate it if not managed strategically.