Social Media B2B

Facebook just announced their location-based check-in system called Places and many within the social media world are wondering what effect this will have on existing location only applications. Some of them have partnered with Facebook to send check-ins in both directions. But the majority of people, including those at B2B companies, are wondering what location-based applications even are, and why they would want to check-in anywhere. Now that Facebook has rolled this out to iPhones and touch-screen based smartphones, people will begin to see the value of checking in as they see their Facebook friends in different Places. And as people continue to use Facebook as an information consuming tool and grow their professional network on Facebook, here are some uses for B2B companies to use Places.

Claim Your Business Location
Once Places is fully implemented in your area, it has not fully rolled out yet, search for your business on Facebook using a mobile phone. If it is not there, add it. Once you either find it or create it, click the link at the bottom of the page that says “Is this your business?” and follow the steps to claim your business. Even if you do not have a retail business, as long as you have a public location, it makes sense to create and claim this business on Facebook Places. This is another outpost for your business that can provide some search value for people looking for your B2B products and services. Targeted Facebook advertising directing users to a company’s Places page will be possible. It also remains to be seen how this integrates with Facebook Pages, but whether these remain separate or become tightly integrated, this increases your presence on Facebook.

Build a Professional Network
Places is another reason to add professional contacts to Facebook. Since most people use Facebook personally, and want to separate personal and professional lives, you need to understand the privacy settings that allows you to create settings by list. As you will see below, there are reasons to reach out to people on Facebook and this need to be done with your personal profile, but in the name of your business. It may be as simple as connecting with someone checked in to a Place and suggesting they Like your B2B company Page. You can also suggest this to your friends, some of whom could be professional contacts. Certain contacts you discover through Places, you will want to form a connection with, as there are different means of communication between friends and likers of Pages.

Conferences
As people get more comfortable checking in to Places on Facebook, they will do more of it. Privacy has continued to be an issue on Facebook and there are custom settings for Place check-ins. Large public events are some of the first places where people will check-in, as they may get more value from seeing who else is there. Places has a separate setting on the privacy page call “People Here Now,” which when enabled, shows that you are checked in to a Place.

B2B companies can connect with others who have checked in at an industry conference and reach out to them. Early adopters of Facebook Places will be customers and prospects who are already online using social platforms to connect and would be more receptive to companies reaching out to them. And because these are industry events, you are more likely to connect with qualified prospects.

Trade Shows
Just like conferences, people will be checking in at trade shows and other industry events. While location purists would prefer people check-in to physical locations, which always remain, rather than newly created events, which are often used just one time, there is value of an event check-in. It is a good indicator of the online citizens of an industry. It remains to be seen whether Facebook will allow the creation of temporarily places, like a trade show booth, to help drive traffic at a show. If they don’t, B2B companies can still encourage show attendees to check-in at the show location to enter a booth drawing, or otherwise request more information.

Competitive Connections
From a competitive standpoint, Facebook Place check-ins will let you know who from your competitors are at industry events. As we have discussed before, it is appropriate to cultivate business relationships at the marketing and sales level with competitors, especially online, and this is one more way to connect with them. Since you are getting this information based on their physical location, you can arrange and in-person meeting, which is a way to strengthen connections.

While Places on Facebook are so new, that not many people have begun to play with them, this is just meant to get you thinking about how location can be used for B2B companies. Have you thought about other ways you might use them?

Jeffrey L. Cohen is the Managing Editor of SocialMediaB2B.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter at @jeffreylcohen.