Meta has introduced Meta One, a new subscription service designed to give businesses, creators and individuals access to additional tools and features across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
For businesses using Meta as part of their digital marketing strategy, there are some interesting developments to be aware of – particularly around publishing links, analytics and managing social media accounts.
What is Meta One?
Meta One is a range of subscription plans offering additional features across Meta’s platforms. For businesses and creators, the plans are designed to provide more professional tools to help manage their social media presence, reach audiences and connect with customers.
Meta currently offers several business and creator plans, including Essential, Advanced, Expert and Max. Pricing and availability vary depending on the plan, region, app and account.
The Advanced plan starts at $49.99 per month and includes a number of additional publishing and management features, including scheduling Stories up to 30 days in advance, exportable analytics, deeper audience insights and the ability to add links to organic Instagram posts and Reels. It also allows businesses to give team members access to their account without sharing a password.
Why are links in Instagram posts important?
For many businesses, social media is not just about building awareness. It is also an important way of directing potential customers to a website, booking page, product page or specific campaign.
At the moment, businesses can use tools such as Instagram Stories, profile links and paid advertising to direct users to external websites. The introduction of links within organic Instagram posts and Reels as part of Meta One’s Advanced plan could therefore be significant for businesses that regularly use organic social content to drive website traffic.
Rather than asking users to find a link in a profile or using a paid advert, businesses subscribing to the relevant plan will have another way of directing people from their Instagram content to their website.
What does Meta One mean for Facebook?
Meta has also introduced changes to the way some Facebook Pages can publish link posts.Meta is gradually introducing limits on organic Facebook content containing links. Some Pages may be limited to two posts or comments containing links per month.
This is particularly relevant for businesses that regularly share website content, blogs, offers or other external links through Facebook. Importantly, links added to comments can also count towards these limits, so adding a website link in the first comment may not provide a workaround.
Meta’s new Advanced business plan includes additional publishing features and allows businesses to publish more link content, while availability and specific functionality can vary by account and region.
For businesses that rely heavily on Facebook to drive traffic to their website, this is an area worth keeping an eye on.
It is important to note that Meta’s plans, features, pricing and availability can change, and not every feature will necessarily be available to every business or account.
Is Meta One available in the UK?
Meta says its Meta One plans are now available globally, but also states that pricing, benefits and availability can vary by region, app and account. This means that UK businesses may not currently have access to every Meta One feature, and availability can vary between accounts.
The Facebook link restrictions are also being rolled out gradually and do not currently apply to every Page.
For UK businesses, the key thing to watch is how these features develop and whether they become relevant to the way businesses currently use Facebook and Instagram as part of their marketing activity.
What should businesses do?
There is no need to immediately change your social media strategy because of Meta One. However, if your business relies heavily on organic social media to drive traffic to your website, it is worth understanding how these changes could affect your approach.
In particular, businesses should keep an eye on:
- Organic Instagram links – the Advanced plan includes links in organic posts and Reels.
- Facebook link posts – publishing functionality and availability may change for some Pages.
- Social media analytics – Meta One Advanced includes exportable analytics and deeper audience insights.
- Content scheduling – Advanced includes the ability to schedule Stories up to 30 days in advance.
- Team access – businesses can give team members account access without sharing passwords.
- Future developments – Meta says it plans to continue adding features and tools for businesses and creators.
What does this mean for your business?
Meta One is another example of the way social media platforms are continuing to evolve and introduce new paid features for businesses.
For some businesses, the additional tools may be useful. For others, the existing free functionality may continue to meet their needs. The value of any subscription will ultimately depend on how heavily a business relies on Meta’s platforms and which features it uses.
At RBP, we’ll be keeping a close eye on how Meta One develops, particularly around organic links, publishing restrictions and the impact on businesses using Facebook and Instagram to drive website traffic.
