You are a business owner who is using Facebook to promote your business. Your business is doing very well on social media. Every social media KPI, from a number of fans and followers to engagement, is flaunting an upward trend. Suddenly, there is an algorithm change on Facebook and the same graph that was soaring towards the sky, nosedives.

Most businesses have been on the receiving end of these algorithm changes. To their dismay, they cannot do much to fix it or minimize the damage, which is the hardest part. Good news is that you can stay abreast of the latest changes that are about to be made and prepare yourself for the future.

Facebook allowed us a sneak peek into the future by making multiple announcements in its F8 Conference. And for those who missed out, we bring the crux of the event and tell you how these changes will affect your business in hindsight.

1.     A Dating Service from Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg has just announced that Facebook is jumping on the dating bandwagon, empowering its aficionados to build “the most meaningful relationship of all” and not just “hookups”. Users can make a dating profile leveraging their first name only, which doesn’t appear in their News Feeds or can be seen by friends- it’s only visible to other people who have also opted into the service.

At the company’s F8 developer conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “There are 200 million people on Facebook who list themselves as single. So clearly there’s something to do here.” Introduction of a new dating service by Facebook will mean that people will spend more time on Facebook, which is great news for businesses. For businesses selling gifts for couples and other similar items, this dating app will be a godsend as they can not only sell but also let users send gift to their loved ones through the newly announced dating app.

The app mirrors the way that people actually date in the real world, which is at institutions and events they are connected to. Although privacy concerns still loom like dark clouds over the dating service, investors are hopeful that the dating service will give Tinder and other players a run for their money.

2.     Share Facebook and Instagram Stories from Other Apps

Do you want to make the most of your Instagram stories? Instagram is now allowing you to share all sorts of varied and fun content from third parties to stories, without having to resort to screen recordings and screenshots to express yourself or incorporate a fun element to your stories. Regardless of whether you aspire to share “action shots from GoPro”, or a sticker of a new hot album on Spotify, you can now post directly to Instagram Stories.

Brands on Instagram and Facebook will love this feature as it gives them more opportunity to get more shares, likes and comments on their stories thanks to easy and convenient sharing options for the users.

The easy and hassle-free process asks no further of you. You are not entailed to connect your Instagram account to these third-party apps, alleviating the risk of your data leaking over to these apps. All Instagram users have to do is to tap the share button on the GoPro or Spotify app and directly pull the content into their Instagram cameras, from where it can be sent out to other people through direct messaging or added to a story.

3.     Adding Translation Capabilities to Messenger

Skype has recently launched a real-time translation feature that lets you write messages in one go and get it translated into another in real time. Facebook tried to go one up by incorporating an advanced translation feature in its messenger app.

Its artificial intelligence assistant dubbed ‘M’ can only comprehend Spanish at the moment. Although, the feature is still in its infancy but its advanced language support will be extended to cover other languages as well. This means that your business can communicate with global audiences in their native tongues, adding a touch of personalization. Facebook is ditching the game and camera tab to give messenger app a clean look. This will help them shrug off the image of messenger being a bloated app.

4.     Welcome to the World of 3D and VR

To help businesses deliver an immersive experience to customers, Facebook has introduced VR memories and 3D photo features. This will give more room to brands to be creative with their content creations. It might become the hottest fad for brands but soon enough, every brand will harness the power of this feature. This means that brands that get the first-mover’s advantage can dominate and extend their lead. To deliver an interactive experience to your followers through engaging content, you should make the most of these features.

5.     Instagram Video Chat Will Be the Next Big Thing

Not just content with being your camera, Instagram wants to be your phone. Facebook dropped another bombshell during its F8 Conference pertaining to a new video chat feature for Instagram. This video chat feature will extend the functionality of the Instagram Direct Inbox. This will revamp the entire app, making it much more than a selfie and story sharing app. Video chat allows you to chat with an individual or group. Minimizing the video screen during the conversation let you browse Instagram while on call.

The launch of video chat feature will help online businesses communicate with their customers face to face. Additionally, the live video feature means that your business can broadcast events live and attract a global audience to  events.

6.     Finally, a Feature to Wipe Out Your Data

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica and GDPR, Facebook strived to ensure the privacy of user’s data. In an attempt, they are giving users an option to wipe out their data. This will give users more control over their data. With the introduction of “Clear History” feature, Facebook is doing exactly that.

Now, users can delete data collected by websites and third-party apps that they use on the popular social networking platform. Users can even delete their browsing history from the Facebook data store. Although this might be good news for users but not so much for brands. It will gradually make the user experience less personalized. “Your Facebook won’t be as good while it relearns your preferences,” Zuckerberg said. It will be a tradeoff loved by users but abhorred by brands.

How will the latest Facebook changes affect your business? What strategy would you adapt to deal with these Facebook updates? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section below.