Facebook Geo-Tool Could Revolutionise Online Marketing
The social-networking giant Facebook is planning to launch a geographic location tool that allows users to map exactly where they are whenever they post status updates with giants like McDonald's queuing up to get involved.
Facebook boasts 400m users worldwide and is planning to launch the location functionality for its users but can provide businesses with a means of knowing exactly where their prospective clients are at any given time.
Social media experts point out that Facebook is likely to significantly increase its advertising revenue, as the new "Facebook Places" location tool will allow for marketing campaigns that are targeted at specific users to become more effective than ever before.
Professor John Pliniussen of Queen's University in Canada noted that the new Facebook application is nothing short of a "marketer's dream."
Those who sign up for the app will have their location tracked at any given point in the day. This will not only allow friends to keep in touch much more easily, but will also provide businesses with the means to know exactly where their prospective customers are at any given time.
The app is currently available to Facebook's mobile users, which means that companies with a well-developed digital strategy will be able to more effectively market their products and services to some 150 million social media users.
The app tracks whenever Facebook users enter a shopping centre, cinema, restaurant or any other public establishment.
Pliniussen and other social media experts note that this will allow Facebook friends to get together for "impromptu meetings," as they will see which of their friends are closest.
The only drawback at the moment is that Facebook has opted to launch its geo app exclusively in the United States and will likely wait to see how well it works before extending this to social media users in other countries.
|
