If you are fortunate enough to be living in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Diego or San Francisco then you have no doubt noticed that Facebook has finally rolled out its’ much anticipated local “Deals.” Deals is Facebook’s answer to the popularity of sites like Groupon and Living Social. However, where the social aspect is secondary with Groupon and Living Social, Facebook’s Deals only provides deals on events and activities that you would do with your friends and family. Emily White, Director of Local at Facebook says “All of these deals are things you want to do with friends, so no teeth whitening, but yes to river rafting.” Most of these events and activities are things that I would pay full price for anyway, so the fact that I get a discount on them for myself and others makes it pretty enticing. My current deals page includes:
- A Climbing Class from Atlanta Rocks
- A Pottery Party with Pottery on Wheels
- Movie-Mocking Show at Cineprov
- Jazz Journey at the Georgia Aquarium
- Barbeque at Hottie Hawg’s Smokin’ BBQ
- Horseback Riding Lessons with Harmony N Horsemanship
- Overnight Backpacking Trip with Appalachian Wilderness Guides
- 4 Kid Birthday Party at St. Regis Atlanta
- 2 Tickets to the Falcons Home Opener vs. The Eagles
- Date Night at Cafe Istanbul
Many businesses are already using Facebook, and the Deals page gives them another opportunity to get their name out there and be noticed. Not only can Facebook users purchase a deal, they can also “like” a deal and suggest it to their friends or they can share it with their friends through Facebook messaging or post something on their friend’s wall about it. Also, when Facebook users “like” or buy a deal, it will show up in their friend’s news feed. All of these features work together to enhance the social interaction around Facebook Deals, and since Facebook has over 500 million users worldwide, it will no doubt help any business willing to use it. Facebook Deals is about more than buying a good or a service, but rather about creating a buzz around a company’s brand.
