Facebook launches 7 call-to-action buttons for Pages

Facebook today launched call-to-action buttons for Facebook Pages. There are seven in total: Book Now, Contact Us, Use App, Play Game, Shop Now, Sign Up, and Watch Video.

The new call-to-action feature is coming to the U.S. first; the rollout starts today and will continue “over the next few weeks.” Unlike other launches where the company wants to test new features stateside first, Facebook already says it will roll this one out worldwide sometime next year.

As you can see in the screenshot above, the buttons at the top of Facebook Pages, to the left of the Like button. We asked Facebook and the company confirmed that Page admins can only choose to place one button at a time on their Page, though they swap these out as needed.

This is not the first time Facebook has offered such a feature. Developers have access to call-to-action buttons when building apps for the platform, and marketers can buy ads that include call-to-action buttons. Both types have seen decent results, so it’s not too surprising that the company wants to offer more such buttons.

In the case of Pages, the goal is the same. Facebook hopes the new call-to-action feature will help Pages drive “business objectives,” whether that’s getting more sales, more views, or any of the other possible options. Whichever of the seven a Page chooses, the point is to make it as easy to increase whatever the buttons are as it is for likes.

The call-to-action buttons can take users to destinations that are not only on Facebook but also off the social network. As such, the company will have to pay close attention to ensure Page admins don’t abuse them.

We can think of scenarios where popular Pages are hijacked and change the source of the button to a malicious page. We have asked Facebook how the company plans to verify buttons’ destinations and will update this article if we hear back.

Update: “We use the same system as we use for tracking everything else on the site – with our Site Integrity efforts,” a Facebook spokesperson told VentureBeat. “Additionally people can report the Page where we will monitor by the same channels.” In other words, these buttons will be tracked for malicious activity no differently than Facebook’s other features.