Facebook’s “Place Tips” To Serve Up Location-Based Information In Real Time

One reason Yelp, TripAdvisor, FourSquare and UrbanSpoon are successful is that people prefer—and are more likely to trust—reviews from their peers. Taking this a step further, Facebook offers the ability to harness the opinion of people in your network instantaneously. Now Facebook is capitalizing on this advantage and entering the review space with its new Place Tips service.

Image credit: Facebook.com

Using Facebook Bluetooth beacons, Place Tips provides data on businesses people in your network have used in the immediate vicinity of your mobile location. When you’re in the proximity of a business your friends have visited, Place Tips will appear at the top of your News Feed with relevant information, including operating hours, photos, check-ins, etc.

The service holds benefits for both merchants and customers. Merchants receive greater visibility to potential customers in their immediate area without the need for expensive hyper-local advertising, and customers have access to feedback from those in their network, people they trust.

Retailers should be monitoring the use of this tool and determine how they can best maximize its benefits. For more information on Facebook’s Bluetooth beacons or to sign up for this new service, head on over to Facebook for business.