Remember when we social media marketers freaked out over the “Facebook apocalypse?” That seems sooooo Early 2018 now. Our newest freakout du jour comes in the aftermath of Facebook and Instagram restricting third-party tool use of their APIs.
In the past, some third-party tools took advantage of the data they had access to though these APIs. Other tools let users be incredibly spammy. Because of these few bad apples, these Facebook and Instagram API changes are saying this to ALL third-party tools.
This is regardless of any Partner Status or how well a tool has followed the developers’ terms of service.
But we will get through this.
Let me explain what Facebook and Instagram API restrictions are now in play and their implications for marketers who use social media management tools like Agorapulse.
Facebook API Changes
1. Tools’ access to the Facebook Groups API is temporarily suspended.
What this means for users: You cannot use a third party tool to manage your Facebook Groups.
Will this ever be reversed? Although third party tools can’t currently access the Facebook Groups API, Facebook will conduct a thorough review process with tools wishing to regain access.
Freakout factor: Medium-Low. Many find value in terms of reach and conversations in Facebook Groups. Yet others still don’t know what to do in a Group versus on a Page. Given that Facebook has plans to revisit tools on a case-by-case basis, the former group should find relief in the near future. For the latter group, this API restriction is a non-issue.
2. Tools’ access to Facebook Page private messages has been temporarily suspended.
What this means for users: If you began using a third party tool for the first time after April 4, 2018, you will not be able to manage the private messages (PMs) you receive on your…
