Facebook Places: Does this Change the Game?

Until a few weeks ago, Foursquare was the buzzword for agents looking for the next big thing in social networking. By checking in at local shops and even listed houses, agents were increasing their visibility on a fast-expanding network focused entirely on location. Then Facebook decided to join in.

With Facebook Places, users can broadcast their location to their friends, see who else is around and keep tabs on nearby events. Facebook says the aim is to help its users make the most of “unexpected coincidences,” but for now some users are questioning the usefulness of the idea, as this Associated Press video shows:

So should real estate agents be trying out this new Facebook service? One argument for Facebook Places is the vast scope of the network - over 500 million users, as compared to Foursquare’s current 3 million. pcworld.com’s Michael Ansaldo points out another issue for Foursquare - the chance that Facebook will add more Foursquare-like features in future and draw users away from the smaller network.

With Facebook Places less than a month old, so it’s far too early to be calling a winner in the location-based social networking game. But there is one thing agents can do if they want to make sure Facebook Places is covered: claim their business location to ensure the information people find there is correct.

To claim your business location on Facebook Places, you first need to sign in to Places and add a new location while you are actually at your office. Once the place is created, click the “is this your business” link at the bottom of the page, and you’ll be directed to through the verification process.

Are you using Facebook Places yet? Let us know how it’s working for your business in our comments.

Facebook Places: Does this Change the Game?

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