Waiting for Facebook Places Adaptation By Local Users

Check-in facility in Facebook had been able to use since a few months ago, but the release for public users (global scale) is still gradual. For Indonesian users, check in at a particular location via Facebook Places at least can be enjoyed for BlackBerry users, while for iPhone users - despite the places icon already exist – it could only be used widely around last week. At least that's what happened to me and some friends when we tried the check-in facility on Facebook.

Just like any other check-in facilities, Facebook Places provides facilities for users to view locations around them (by GPS), do check in, and then tag the friends who are in one location. Users can also view a list of location updates from their friends and if the location is unavailable, users can add the locations.

The question is will the Indonesian Facebook users adapt massively? Will there be a location-based promotions appear through Facebook, and how is the opportunity of location-based promotional for local businesses?

The answer is still relatively. First is because the Facebook Places facility itself still can not be widely used by the public yet, though it can be accessed, at least it is still a limited application in the smart phones and access from touch.facebook.com. While many of our mobile users who access Facebook are still using feature phones as well as accessing Facebook via web.

But of course everything will change, along with the development done by Facebook itself. As written by TechCrunch quoting AllFacebook, that Facebook is doing the test on check-in at the event, so the user can perform check-ins from the events they attend through Facebook.

If this thing applied for large users, it would certainly crowd up the check-in activity, especially if it added some features that already exist on Facebook, such as photos posting or chat with users who are in one location. This facility can also be more widespread when the check-in is added with promo features just like in Foursquare. Brand owners or event organizers are using Facebook as a promotion media, so when this feature can be used, the adaptation of those brands/event organizers is just a matter of time.

On the other hand, the check-in facilities from Google also continues to progress, still as written by TechCrunch, Google Latitude application for the iPhone has also been improved, and the check-in facility is available in 30 languages (Android users have been able to enjoy this facility in advance). Google itself has HotPot, location-based recommendation, Google Place to see various places around us as well as Google Latitude.

If all is integrated, Google could also be a threat for Facebook Places, not only the opportunity of users to perform check-ins, but also an opportunity for venue owners are wide open. Google's reach may be wider, at least faster, especially considering they are now also have a special attention for Indonesian users.

For me, location-based promotions with discounts or special offers when customers check-in is fun (on the consumer side), and it could be one of the low-budget high impact promo formation (on the producer side - merchants/brand owners). With appropriate strategies, promotions can be run on other platforms like they now do on Twitter or Facebook.

And when the adaptation of Facebook Places generate a large check-in activity, this could be a business opportunity for the venue owners; comment, Like, and activity on a particular location could be a valuable input. Because the location is included in the Community Pages at a minimum, the location owner can do manual checks of existing activities in their locations, gives comment or makes a conversation with customers who check in at that location.

Location-based services are still popular in Indonesia. Apart from the existing services such as Foursquare (*), Gowalla and Koprol, some local LBS like PersonaFlag, Bouncity, Tasterous are also included in the location-based services segment, although with different applications. Competition will certainly arise and they will fight to get consumers.

Facebook does have a very large users in Indonesia, which makes them have a quite strong basis for user adaptation. It will be interesting to see how the adaptation of local users for Facebook Places which gradually began to be used by general users and how other services will prepare for this competition.

Are you a Facebook user? Have you try Facebook Places? What is your opinion, and is it possible that check-in adaptation to be widened up through Facebook, and is there any chance for an opportunity for the venue owners/event organizers or the brand owners to use it?

(*) the data accuracy still can not be confirmed, the base used is data from Alexa.com that records site statistics, while Foursquare itself is a mobile application, and mostly accessed from mobile phones which are difficult to reached by Alexa statistics.

Translated by Nita Sellya.