Foursquare Isn’t the Only Hip One: Facebook Launches Places Application

About a week ago Facebook developers launched a new smart phone application called “Facebook Places.”  The application acts similarly to the recently popular Foursquare mobile social media site that allows you to “check in” when you visit sponsored locations and share your whereabouts with other users.  The original benefits of Foursquare were in its ability to provide marketers, advertisers, and business owners insight into who they’re existing customers were, identify untapped demographics by analyzing current users, providing a promotional outlet for the business, and also allow users a glimpse into what their friends were up to.
According to Facebook’s official blog, the new app will allow IPhone users (and other touch smart phone users) to connect via tagging with other “friends” who are at the same location.  The new benefit of Places’ tie to Facebook is that users can instantly “friend” other people with similar interests once they check in: immediately expanding friend networks and audiences for Places’ advertisers.   Like its predecessor Foursquare, Places will also enable friends to view where each person visits.
The blog assures readers that the application’s tagging abilities are only initiated with the user’s permission and that the “Places” user will always have complete control of revising their settings through Facebook’s privacy settings menu.  Though the new application presents exponential potential for digital advertisers in interactive marketing, the test of whether or not Facebook users really want to reveal even more information about who they are and what they’re doing is yet to be seen.
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