Jul 20, 2011

Businesses on Facebook Can Use Check-in Deals

[caption id="attachment_393" align="alignright" width="367" caption="Use Facebook Check-in Deals"]

[/caption] You’re probably aware that Facebook provides more than just a Facebook Page or Facebook Ad to market your business. Take Facebook Places, for example. This feature is meant for friends to announce to each other their current whereabouts: “Jane Smith is at Anytime Fitness in Ft. Myers, Fla.” Places provides your business free and rapid advertising. Whenever Facebook users visit your location and “check in” on Facebook Places, their friends are automatically notified. But Places is not just a fun way for friends to spontaneously meet up or for friends to show each other where they spend their time. Your can use Places to motivate people in to check in to your business. By using the Deals feature on Places, you can make your shop, event, or online store stand out among the hundreds of others advertising on Facebook.

The Deal on Facebook Deals

Currently, business owners are using Facebook Places for its “Check-in Deals” component. Facebook followers can check in to receive individual discounts, to be rewarded for encouraging their friends to save, and to receive savings for repeat visits. They are even using Facebook Deals to donate to charities. Deals also makes the “Like” button available, which allows your deals to appear in news feeds. That’s one way Facebook distributes your deals. Facebook’s “Deals Guide for Businesses”¹ describes eight methods of distribution:

Facebook home page
Deals page
“Sponsored Deal” blurbs
Wall posts by users
News Feed
Notifications to people when their friends “Like” or buy the same deals
Deals tab
Emails

How to Claim a Place for Your Business

Remember, to use Check-in Deals, you must first claim a place for your business on Facebook. Eric Brantner explained the process in his seohosting.com article, “Are You Using Facebook Places to Promote Your Business?”²

How it Works for Your Followers

A CNN article³ explained how Facebook users use the GPS on their phones to notify friends of their geographical locations. Facebook Deals takes this a step further by not only announcing your existence but also enticing people to visit your store, for example, to save on quality products.

Why Should You Use Deals?

By not taking advantage of this free feature, you will miss out on building clientele, strengthening loyalty, and increasing sales. Most business owners are establishing Facebook Pages and Ads for their businesses. Facebook Deals offers more than just information on your business—it also entices smartphone users to make purchases, builds customer loyalty, and strengthens your business’s reputation as a place that wants customers to save money and feel appreciated for making purchases. Still have questions about Check-in Deals on Places? Visit the Facebook Help Center.⁶ For more information, visit: 1. Facebook's "Deals Guide for Businesses" (see "Download Business Guide" at bottom right) 2. “Are You Using Facebook Places to Promote Your Business?” 3. “Facebook Introduces Check-in Feature” 4. “Introducing Deals” 5. “What Facebook Places Means for Small Businesses" 6. Facebook Help Center: Check-in Deals