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With platforms like Instagram and Snapchat rapidly growing, what will happen to the old standbys like Facebook and Twitter? Will they be fondly remembered as the sites that everyone grew out of? Or will they continue to grow right along with us?

The answer is not a definite yes or no, it’s hard to tell where we are headed with how quickly the landscape changes. Facebook is showing serious signs of growth and innovation with new features. Facebook is creating a little distance from the traditional social media configuration by dabbling with features that make online commerce targeted and extremely convenient.

New features announced in March show where we’re headed and how Facebook is leading the charge for in-app capabilities. Immediate purchase options, video and message sharing inside of the Facebook Messenger app as well as live customer service conversations through Facebook are all key elements of Facebook’s changes. As a business owner, or a casual user, get the most out of your Facebook experience by educating yourself on what’s coming up next.

New Ad Features

To use Facebook as a selling tool, set individual ads to control who they go to and when they go. Filter specific audiences by their viewing habits on your Facebook page. By targeting your audience, you only reach out to those most likely to reach back. You avoid the risk of pushing too hard to audiences that don’t particularly want to hear your message.

A/B testing: Test different ad formats to see which earns more engagement. This feature lets you consider both sets of data right next to each other and see which reached more people and did more for your business. By adjusting details, you can pinpoint things like the best time to push your message and the ideal age group to receive it.

Stock Photos: This might not seem like a big deal, but Facebook offers stock photos to go along with your ads. This takes the pressure off of finding a good photo to use in your post and we all know posts/ads and posts with photos are more attention grabbing than those with just text.

Integration

To keep people in the app, Facebook is changing to make it possible for consumers to make purchases without leaving Facebook. Privacy and security are two huge obstacles that Facebook is looking at when it comes to in-app purchases, but they are working hard to make in-app shopping safe and convenient.

Facebook is attempting to remove the threat of losing users to third party sites by delivering all the content they need in-app. When a user comments on a news story somewhere else on the internet, it will automatically be added to the story where it is posted on Facebook. Facebook connect partners BuzzFeed, EliteDaily, Huffington Post and Fox Sports are among the first media companies to test this update. These online publications are integrating with Facebook and revolutionizing the way we share and discuss content online. This also helps keep Facebook users on Facebook, instead of navigating away from the platform.

This is just the beginning of what is yet to come for Facebook and their push for in-app accessibility. the long-term goal is for the user to have everything they need in Facebook, from shopping to customer service.