Facebook opening to eCommerce with Facebook Offers
A few days ago we wrote about how Facebook ecommerce is gaining momentum, and we have also reviewed several ecommerce software platforms that allow retailers to integrate their storefronts within Facebook. But when we wrote about how F-Commerce was starting to get traction, we also wondered how would Zuckerberg try to monetize F-Commerce.
The last week, Facebook announced the launch of a new important features: ‘Offers’, which allow brands to deliver daily deals to their brand’s page and the user’s news feeds. Facebook Offers is a reinvention of the common daily deals websites, such as Groupon, LivingSocial or AmazonOffers, but not designed to be a separate feature or page (like Groupon), but totally integrated within a normal Facebook usage. With a potential target market of over 850 million people, we are sure that Facebook Offers will be able to drive a lot of sales from Facebook to a bunch of retailers.
Main Differences with other Daily Deals websites
The main mechanic of Facebook Offers is really similar to Groupon or similar websites, but the main difference is that Facebook Offers will be totally integrated within Facebook’s normal activity. That means that users won’t need to visit any other site, they will receive the daily deals mixed with ther news feed updates, so as a retailer, you’ll be targeting far more people. Sharing is integrated in the process, as it’s integrated in anything you can do in Facebook, so it’s logical to think that good offers will have a more viral effect in Facebook Offers than in any other daily deals website. In fact, when a user claims an offer, that offer will be added to their timeline.
But I’m not seeing any Offer in Facebook
That’s right. Offers are available in beta to a limited number of local business Pages, and they will launch more broadly soon. So in the near future it’s expected that any brand can post their offers and daily deals.
And maybe this is just the beginning of what “the blue company” will do related to Social Commerce, and we’re sure we will see more movements in the near future.
How do you see the difference between Social commerce and Daily deal sites?
I’m studying on them as my dissertation topic, but do not really see them differing..