The new Facebook Places product was rolled out yesterday in a clear and direct response to the popularity and (ad potential) of similar services such as Foursquare and Gowalla. Like other location-based social networks, Facebook Places lets users see where their friends are and share their physical location. So what does this announcement mean right away to brands?
As of right now:
It’s Not Available Everywhere…Yet. As of right now, Places is only available in the US and only via the Facebook iPhone application and through mobile access to touch.facebook.com. It will be rolled out to more geographies and on other platforms like Android shortly.
Facebook is Playing Nice With Foursquare and Gowalla. Executives from both networks spoke at last night’s launch event touting their integration with the new Places product.
Places Have Pages. Places pages show you a map, lists of friends who are currently checked in and an archived activity stream. Place pages can be added to users’ profiles if they “like” them. Brands must “claim” their place in order to manage their address, contact information, and other settings. These claims will need to be verified by Facebook and there is indication that you will be able to “merge” your places page with your brand page.
Advertising Options Haven’t Changed…Yet. There is no increased ability to advertise to fans who have checked in at or around your “place.” However, this too may just be a matter of time.
The API is Coming Out Today. Brands will be able to start integrating places into their applications starting today. It’s going to be interesting to see what new branded experiences app dev teams will be able to deliver with these new features
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