Depending on how you look at it, Facebook places is either an amazing new feature or a big invasion of privacy. I think facebook places is amazing, a technology that is long overdue and should be a part of our every day life.
Facebook solved a lot of communication problems we have today. Our two best modes of communication – Mobile phones are costly and complicated overseas communication, emails – while solving those issues is more of an overload, not personal and hard to communicate to (with all the hyphens, numbers, domains too much to remember etc).
Facebook solved those issues and as a result has grown as big. Facebook places along with facebook fan pages for business is arguably its best feature to date. Facebook places takes facebook from a communication channel to a catchup channel.
Facebook Places–Checking In
Opportunity to Location Market to Mainstream users
However facebook places does not only bring a new shift in user to user communications but creates a massive opportunity for Businesses. What Foursquare, BrightKite haven’t been able to do, facebook Places makes it easy for a business to reach out to mainstream consumers that are located near their premise of operation. While Foursquare and BrightKite were more of a geek culture, Facebook places is mainstream.
Special Offers based on consumer location
Knowing facebook, you should be able to start targeting ads based on location. There was limited ability to do this already through networks however networks are not updated and too broad. Now you should have a change to pin point target location and offer relevant deals.
Facebook Connect for Location Marketing??
Chances are that you will be able to leverage some location information using Facebook connect. So you will be able to divide your customers based on where they hang out or where they shop for your/competitors products. You should start thinking about how you can leverage this information in communications that you provide your customers already. Do they hang out at a place where you have a store/location but they haven’t been there? You could leverage this information to get them notified.
Build Brand by encouraging check ins at your location
68% of Facebook users are likely to buy a product that is recommended by a friend on Facebook. Add location to that, and all of a sudden you are able to reach out to hundreds of contacts of your Facebook fans that live/shop near you.
Encourage them to check in at your location and give something back for that. Remember that anything shared on Facebook is viral. Also make sure that there will be a lot of concern around check ins early so make sure you let your customers know that you respect their priavacy.
Get your Facebook Business Fan Page ready for Facebook Places
Make sure that you have a Facebook business fan page and pick a more pin pointed location than what you have right now. There is a chance that a user will be able to look at businesses around where they are based on the information in you Facebook fan page. You are only able to supply one location for your business fan page, this might be a time to think about creating separate pages for each individual locations.
Encourage location sharing!
It’s going to be good for your business.
Facebook Events
There is a good chance that this will get integrated. It makes sense to know what events are happening around where you are. This also creates a big opportunity for traditional dating and personal services businesses to stand apart and provide a better service.
