Facebook offers two main tools for businesses to manage their presence and advertising on the platform: Commerce Manager and Business Manager. While there is some overlap in their features, they are designed for different purposes.
In short, Commerce Manager is specifically for ecommerce businesses to manage their Facebook Shops and product catalogs. Business Manager is a more general tool for all businesses to run ads, create Pages and ad accounts, gather insights, and manage permissions.
What is Commerce Manager?
Commerce Manager is Facebook’s dedicated ecommerce platform that allows businesses to easily set up an online store, manage product catalogs, track sales performance, and optimize shopping experiences. It was launched in 2020 as an evolution of Facebook Shops.
With Commerce Manager, ecommerce merchants can:
– Create and manage a Facebook Shop – This is a customizable online storefront that showcases products from the merchant’s catalog.
– Upload and organize product catalogs – Merchants can upload product details like descriptions, images, variants, and pricing to create a searchable product catalog.
– Set up checkout integrations – Integrates with payment platforms like Shopify and Stripe to enable purchases directly on Facebook and Instagram.
– Track key metrics – Analytics on product views, purchases, revenue, top-selling items, and more.
– Retarget shoppers – Use Facebook’s pixel and analytics to reach shoppers who abandoned carts or viewed products.
– Chat with customers – Set up messaging so shoppers can ask questions and get support through Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram Direct.
So in summary, Commerce Manager provides all the tools an ecommerce merchant needs to create a shopping destination on Facebook and Instagram, sell products, track performance, and engage with customers. It consolidates many product catalog features that were previously spread across Instagram shopping, Facebook Shops, and Facebook commerce ads.
Key capabilities of Commerce Manager:
| Facebook Shop setup | Create customizable storefronts on Facebook and Instagram |
| Product catalog management | Upload product details like images, pricing, inventory |
| Checkout integrations | Connect payment platforms like Shopify to enable on-site purchases |
| Shopping analytics | View performance metrics for products, purchases, revenue |
| Retargeting shoppers | Remarket to users who viewed or added products to cart |
| Customer messaging | Chat with customers directly via Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram Direct |
What is Business Manager?
Facebook Business Manager (or Business Manager for short) is a tool that provides brands and businesses with an overall view of their presence across Facebook apps and technologies. It allows you to manage Pages, ad accounts, permissions, and more from one central dashboard.
With Business Manager, businesses can:
– Manage Pages – Create and oversee all your business’s Facebook Pages from one place.
– Administer ad accounts – Create ads across multiple platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network. Manage budgets, billing, payments, etc.
– Gain insights – View analytics on posts, engagement, customers, sales, and more to inform marketing strategies.
– Set up permissions – Control access and permissions for employees and agencies managing content and ads.
– Use cross-channel tools – Manage customer messaging across Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Utilize retargeting audiences for ads.
– Optimize content publishing – Create, schedule, and publish content on Facebook Pages and Instagram profiles all in one dashboard.
So in summary, Business Manager enables consolidated management of all business accounts and activities on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network. It’s designed as the central platform for marketing efforts and analytics.
Key capabilities of Business Manager:
| Page management | Create and manage all Facebook Pages from one dashboard |
| Ad account administration | Set up ad campaigns across Facebook’s apps and technologies |
| Insights | View analytics on engagement, reach, sales, and more |
| Permissions | Control employee and agency access to accounts |
| Cross-channel messaging | Manage customer messaging across Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp |
| Content publishing | Schedule and publish posts on Facebook Pages and Instagram |
Differences between Commerce Manager and Business Manager
While Business Manager and Commerce Manager have some overlapping capabilities, there are clear differences in their intended use cases:
Purpose
Commerce Manager is specifically focused on ecommerce selling, while Business Manager serves broader needs like brand management, audience engagement, and marketing.
Product catalog management
Commerce Manager provides robust tools for managing detailed product catalogs, while Business Manager has no specialized catalog features.
Shopping destinations
Commerce Manager helps create online Facebook and Instagram storefronts, which Business Manager does not offer.
Checkout and payment processing
Commerce Manager integrates with payment platforms to enable on-site transactions. Business Manager does not offer any checkout or payment capabilities.
Shopping analytics
Commerce Manager provides shopping-focused analytics on product views, add to carts, purchases, revenue, etc. Business Manager focuses on general engagement and marketing metrics.
Retail-focused advertising
Commerce Manager allows ads that directly link to product pages or checkout flows. Business Manager ads focus more on branding, engagement and conversions.
Customer messaging
Both platforms offer cross-channel customer messaging, but Commerce Manager is optimized for shopper questions and support.
In summary:
| Commerce Manager | Business Manager |
| For ecommerce businesses | For general business needs |
| Manages product catalogs | No catalog management |
| Enables online storefronts | No storefronts |
| Provides checkout integrations | No checkout capabilities |
| Shopping-focused analytics | General branding and engagement analytics |
| Retail-oriented advertising | Broad marketing and conversion ads |
| Messaging optimized for shoppers | General messaging |
Should businesses use Commerce Manager or Business Manager?
Most ecommerce businesses will want to leverage both Commerce Manager and Business Manager, as they serve complementary needs:
– Commerce Manager should be used by any merchant selling products directly through Facebook or Instagram. It provides the specialized tools to create shopper destinations and optimize retail performance.
– Business Manager helps manage broader brand marketing, engagement, and analytics across Facebook’s apps. It provides a consolidated platform for general business management and advertising.
– For ecommerce brands, Commerce Manager supports the transactional side through online storefronts and catalog management. Business Manager supports brand building and demand generation efforts.
– Non-retail businesses have no need for Commerce Manager. They can rely on Business Manager for managing Pages, ad campaigns, insights, and publishing.
Example usage
An online fashion brand would use Commerce Manager to create their Facebook Shop showcasing their products, manage their clothing catalog, set up checkout integrations, advertise specific products, and provide shopper support messaging.
They would also use Business Manager to run brand awareness and promotional campaigns across Facebook and Instagram, analyze performance, publish content to followers, and manage cross-channel conversations beyond purchases and support.
Setup and availability
Commerce Manager and Business Manager are both available globally to all businesses using Facebook marketing tools and channels.
Any merchant can sign up for Commerce Manager directly through Facebook. It is a standalone tool not requiring Business Manager.
Business Manager can also be set up as a standalone platform by any business. But ecommerce brands will want to use both together for a complete strategy.
There is no cost associated with either platform. You only pay if you invest in paid advertising or commerce transactions through Facebook’s channels.
The sign-up and onboarding process is straightforward for both Commerce Manager and Business Manager:
– Visit Facebook’s commerce or business management sites.
– Create or link your Facebook business account.
– Input your business information like name, category, account email, etc.
– Agree to Facebook’s terms and policies.
– Start using the dashboards to create accounts, upload catalogs, publish content, and more.
– Connect payment systems (for Commerce Manager) and conversion tracking (for Business Manager).
Facebook provides tutorials and support to guide you through setting up and optimizing both platforms. Dedicated account managers are also available for larger brands and those spending more on Facebook advertising.
Post-setup use and optimization
Once your Commerce Manager and Business Manager accounts are created and connected, focus on leveraging all the features to grow your ecommerce business on Facebook:
With Commerce Manager:
– Curate your online Facebook and Instagram Shops with compelling product imagery and descriptions.
– Categorize your product catalog to improve navigation and on-site search.
– Set up Facebook pixel and analytics to track conversions.
– Enable automatic syncing with your website product catalog.
– Create Shopping ads to promote products across Facebook and Instagram feeds.
– Provide messaging support for shoppers and optimize replies.
– Analyze metrics on product performance to inform catalog updates.
With Business Manager:
– Develop content plans and creative assets for regular posting on Pages and profiles.
– Create segmented Custom Audiences for tailored ad targeting.
– Set up and monitor campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network.
– Leverage automated rules for dynamic budget adjustments.
– Build A/B tests to refine audiences, creatives, and messaging.
– Monitor analytics dashboards for campaign optimization opportunities.
– Manage user roles and permissions for any team members.
– Coordinate cross-channel conversation strategies for sales and support.
Summary
Commerce Manager and Business Manager serve distinct but complementary purposes for ecommerce businesses on Facebook:
– Commerce Manager enables online product sales through storefronts, catalog management, and optimized shopping experiences.
– Business Manager consolidates marketing, engagement, brand management, and analytics under one platform.
Most merchants will want to use both to open up retail opportunities while also building their brand and audience. The specific balance and focus will depend on the business’ priorities and resources. But leveraging these robust management tools offered by Facebook is vital for any ecommerce brand looking to maximize their presence and sales on these popular channels.
The streamlined setup, extensive capabilities, and expert support provided by Facebook enables businesses of all sizes to amplify their reach and better connect with target consumers through coordinated use of Commerce Manager and Business Manager.