Facebook Launches 'Places' Mobile App

Facebook on Wednesday (Aug. 18) unveiled Facebook Places, its much anticipated answer to the growing number of location-based services such as foursquare and Gowalla. Like those mobile applications, Facebook Places allows users to alert their friends to their whereabouts.Mobile applications like foursquare have become increasingly popular—particularly among younger, highly wired demographics who use these platforms to "check in" to localities—including restaurants, bars, airports and coffee shops, using smartphones' built-in GPS technology.Facebook Places allows for a similar "check in" on activities. The company is billing the tool as a way for its members to share favorite places with friend circles of their choosing, and to help users find friends when they are out and about. According to officials, built in privacy controls ensure that only a users' friends can see where that person is at a given moment, and users can also be selective about which of their friends they include in Places alerts."If you're like me, when you find a place you really like, you want to tell your friends you're there," wrote Facebook Places product manager Michael Eyal Sharon in a blog posting. "Maybe it's a new restaurant, a beautiful hiking trail or an amazing live show. Starting [Wednesday], you can immediately tell people about that favorite spot with Facebook Places. You can share where you are and the friends you're with in real time from your mobile device."That instant-sharing dynamic points to an interesting set of questions. As Facebook Places rolls out (starting with the iPhone), will fans of check-in services abandon platforms like foursquare? At the moment, Facebook says it plans to work with companies like Gowalla, foursquare and the local listing company Yelp. Or will users prefer to keep their "here's where I am now" lives separate from their Facebook life, which for many users includes family, social, professional and professional groups of friends?On the other hand, if it proves popular, Facebook Places also has the potential to unlock a massive local e-commerce platform. Already, many local businesses use services like foursquare and Gowalla to encourage foot traffic and shopping by providing frequent visitors points that can lead to discounts, or to game-like achievements—such as becoming mayor of a local diner. Facebook's 500 million members will surely entice many local businesses to test incentive programs which employ Facebook Places.

Performance Marketing

Facebook Launches 'Places' Mobile App

Mike Shields

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Mike Shields