A post from last week, still bringing messages
Last Tuesday you posted a photo of a handmade lamp, one of a kind, on Instagram. It sold in the shop the next day. Six days later, people are still messaging to ask about it, and each one gets a sorry, it has gone. A customer drives in from the next town because they saw it on Facebook.
Meanwhile, the product tags in your shopping posts point to a few items that are out of stock on your website, so customers who tap through hit a dead end.
Posts do not know what is in stock
Social posts are snapshots. The shop keeps changing after them, but the post stays the same, and nothing links the two.
- Posts show items that later sell out, with no update.
- Product tags use a catalogue that may not match the till.
- One-off items are especially likely to sell before interest dies down.
- Staff reply to the same question about a sold item many times.
- Customers travel in for things that have gone.
What out-of-date posts cost
Each wasted message takes staff time, and each customer who travels in for something that has gone leaves disappointed. Shopping tags that lead to out of stock pages make your online shop look neglected.
The opportunity is also lost. Someone asking about a sold lamp is a customer interested in lamps, but without a quick way to suggest alternatives, the conversation ends at no.
How we link your social posts to stock
- Your online shop's product catalogue is connected to Meta's commerce catalogue, and kept in step with your till stock.
- When you post a product, it is tagged from that catalogue, so the tag always reflects live stock and price.
- When a tagged product sells out on the till, the catalogue shows it as out of stock, and where the platform allows, the tag reflects that.
- For one-off items, you can choose to add a 'now sold' comment or edit the caption automatically, so people scrolling see it before messaging.
- Each product has a short list of similar items in stock, which staff can offer in a message reply with one tap.
- A weekly list shows posts whose products have sold out, so you can decide whether to archive, update or leave them.
| Moment | Before | With stock-linked posts |
|---|---|---|
| Item sells in the shop | Post unchanged | Catalogue shows out of stock |
| One-off item sold | People keep asking | 'Now sold' added to the post |
| Customer asks about a sold item | Sorry, it's gone | Similar items suggested |
| Old posts | Left as they are | Weekly list of posts to review |
What can be changed on a post automatically depends on Meta's current rules for business accounts. We confirm what is possible for your accounts before building, and anything not allowed becomes a reminder for you instead.
Social media afterwards
You keep posting new stock as before. When something sells, the post and tags catch up without you remembering. Fewer customers message about sold items, and those who do get a helpful alternative quickly.
Your shopping tags lead to items that are really available, which makes tapping through from Instagram worth a customer's time.
Your social media also becomes a better guide for buying. The questions people send about sold items show which kinds of products get attention, so when a one-off lamp draws dozens of messages, you know it is worth finding more pieces like it. Posting stays the creative, enjoyable part of the week, and the tidying up afterwards happens without you.
Signs your posts are out of date
- Customers message about items that sold days ago.
- Shopping tags lead to out of stock pages.
- One-off pieces keep attracting questions after they sell.
- Customers have travelled in for something that had gone.
- Staff type the same 'sorry, it has sold' reply over and over.