Last week we posted a brief update to our Vegau Facebook page about the latest on Facebook offers. Over the past couple of months, we’ve seen Facebook testing this (latest) Offers feature, and now it appears that the offers are being rolled out to the general public. What's interesting is that Facebook is keeping this rollout on the down-low. Given their track record with similar attempts regarding offers, this is probably a wise strategy.
As for the offers themselves, they are currently only available to advertising clients, but the good news is that they are free to run. These offers/coupons could be a big step forward for social commerce as we know it, for a couple of reasons. First off, the deals are very easy to reclaim - which will make users/consumers happy. Second, the offers will have the potential to become viral, allowing them to spread rapidly over the vast Facebook network.
While some are surprised that the feature is free to use, we feel that it makes perfect sense to start the program this way. Due to the nature of social media, word will spread like wildfire among advertisers. The fastest way for these businesses to get the word out will be to run an ad or sponsored story. Therefore, not only will businesses be able to monetize the enormous traffic of the social network, but Facebook will also end up benefitting over the long haul as an increasing number of advertisers spend more money.
What does all of this mean? We believe that the arrival of true social commerce is here, and it will be exciting to see how it plays out over time. Stay tuned!
