Facebook has launched a new ‘Offers’ feature allowing businesses to deliver deals directly to their brand’s page and to the News Feeds of their subscribed users.

How it works

Users can subscribe to a brand’s page and receive offers by liking the brand's page. Offers are created by the page’s admin and are displayed on both the brand’s page and their subscribers’ news feeds. Users simply click the ‘Get Offer’ link located next to the deal and details are sent to them via their nominated email address.

When a user obtains an offer the story is also available to be shown via their Timeline and their friends’ News Feeds. Users can then utilise the offer by either printing the email or using their mobile web device to show it at a brick and mortar location, or entering the coupon code into an e-commerce site.

Examples

Inner-city Melbourne bar The Carlton have been granted access to the new feature and are currently using it to offer users a Monday Night $15 ‘Pot and Parma’. The deal expires on 13 May and has currently been claimed by 48 people. 

Vintage used goods store Mrs.Secondhand has also jumped on board the Offers feature, most recently offering users a free record when they get five fans to join the brand’s Facebook page.

Second Attempt

Offers are Facebook’s second attempt to venture into the mobile deals market after the limited success of Facebook ‘Deals’ in 2011.

Competition

In operation, Offers work almost exactly the same as established daily deals websites Groupon and LivingSocial by placing the responsibility on the brand to facilitate the redemption process. Facebook’s main advantage lies in its ability to act as a powerful delivery medium, boasting 850 million users. This also makes it easy for the Offers to spread virally and allows people to remain in control of the offers they see. Facebook also has the advantage of collecting detailed demographic information on users who take up the offers.