I have just noticed Facebook Credits appearing on my Facebook page. I have been saying for a while, that a key shift for Facebook will be the implementation of some sort of Marketplace, to make Facebook a viable platform for businesses. Facebook Credits may be the start of this.
Part of the issue with Facebook as a business platform is that is was not designed as such, it was designed purely as a way of people connecting socially.
With this social mindset, users are not looking to Facebook to solve their \”I need to buy\” or \” I need to find\” problems. If I am looking for Christmas presents, I do not think of Facebook as the first place to go to get something.
However, there are plenty of things being advertised through Facebook PPC ads that may be suitable.
Until Facebook changes the mentality of it\’s users into thinking of Facebook as a viable e-commerce marketplace, the effectiveness of Pages as a marketing channel will be limited.
Imagine being able to go to Facebook, enter the marketplace and be able to purchase goods from local and international suppliers.
One key difference here is that Facebook ads are targeted at you, not who you are purchasing for, a marketplace could change this dynamic, by using profile data of your friends to provide you with good information to help make those purchases.
Would you use Facebook if it offered a targeted marketplace? Would you mind if your profile data was used to help others buy you cool gifts?
And it Begins….
