Facebook Deals - A Quick Guide to Getting Hyper-local Leads

Unless you're living in a cave somewhere, you've probably heard that Facebook has introduced "Deals" through Android and the iPhone.  The point of Facebook Deals is to provide offers via your phone based on where you are.  This service is tied to the "Places" feature which uses GPS-based location services in your phone to determine which merchants are near you.  So, why not market REALTORS using this service!

Step 1 - Sign Up For Facebook

With over 550,000,000 people signed up, I'm betting your already set up on Facebook with lots of friends and farms to maintain :)  If not, sign up.  You need to be on Facebook to create your own profile and build a network of your sphere of influence.  This is just to get you started.  You need friends and fans to tell what you're doing in real estate.  You don't want to do too much communicating as people might block your news feeds.

Step 2 - Claim Your Business

You'll most likely need to create your "Place" in the mobile application.  So, on your phone you need to install the Facebook application and then launch it.  Once you've done that, you can follow these steps to create a place customized for you.  Look at the entry entitled "I can't find my Place on Facebook".  Click it and you'll see directions on how to set one up.  Once you've done that, you can move ahead with the next step to take advantage of Facebook Deals.

Step 3 - Set Up Deals

Watch this 4-minute video from the Facebook marketing team.  You'll learn about the different kinds of deals you can offer and how to configure them.  You can promote them via Facebook or other ways.  Your deal will be reviewed so if you're going to do this, focus on quality.  This is not just another marketing venue.  Facebook is hoping this will be a better solution to Foursquare and other similar location-based services.

My Opinion

This could be a great way to reach people who are already in your immediate area and looking for a home.  The key will be offereing something meaningful to get them to call or email.  My impression is that offers of market analysis and the usual information isn't going to get people to call.  It's more likely that offers of community perspective and insight will generate more interest.