Here are the 4 goliaths, but let’s not forget about the smaller, tightly focused niche sites that cater to moms, wine-lovers, GLBT, offices, mobile users, foodies, etc.
via @mashable
Can Facebook Compete with Groupon for Group Deals?
Facebook announced plans this week to create a group deals feature for its social network of nearly 600 million users. People will be able to share deals with their friends, similar to Groupon and Living Social’s social sharing features.
But as a marketer, it raises a few questions.
- How effective are the social sharing features of Groupon and Living Social? Have you ever shared a deal? I haven’t. By the time I get to it, the deal has already tipped.
- Do people want to buy things on Facebook? There seem to be two camps. Marketers say Yes, and non-marketers say… Maybe.
- How will they integrate with their current Deals program? Can they successfully tie this to a physical business or check-in?
Let’s just assume Facebook rolls out group deals, and people share and buy them. With all the social data Facebook owns (ie, likes and interests on 600 million people), this concept will ROCK!
I’d like to know what you think.
Facebook Introduces iframe Tabs for Pages
On their developer blog, Facebook officially announced today it is deprecating FBML in favor of iframe apps for tabs on pages. What the heck does this mean? Well, it is too early to point to specific examples but it does mean you can do a whole lot more with your pages!
Got a cool web app on your site that you want to stick on your page? Just iframe it!
For example, my company’s page, indiDenim (www.indiCustom.com), can now incorporate custom email signup forms or other special applications that previously existed only on our web site. In our case, it’s all about the jean builder. We can integrate selected bits of our builder right into our wall, which makes for a richer fan experience.
Developers and marketers should be elated to hear they are no longer tied to the Facebook markup language (FBML) which Facebook had planned to deprecate but hadn’t provided an official date, until today. I know I’m excited.
If only my developers had some free time on their calendar!
Facebook, Google, Four Square. Who will be the leader in checkins and why ?
It is going to be Foursquare for two reasons: a) they have a clear head start and b) they’re good people who seem to be quite transparent about their goals. As more developers partner with the Foursquare API, I think Foursquare will achieve critical mass. But one problem that stands in their way is the lack of available apps for local businesses to monetize checkins. App developers really have their work cut out for them, but when they get around to it I think they will be choosing Foursquare.
