Social media allows for quick information sharing, and both news and rumors can spread fast if it catches on, especially when the rumors are about the biggest force in social media. Here are two Facebook rumors that are causing some discussion and may impact the way you use Facebook for your business if they are true.
Facebook Deals?
Last week, Nick O’Neill of the All Facebook blog speculated that Facebook may be entering the social rewards arena with a service called Deals. According to O’Neill:
Facebook is currently testing a new ‘Facebook Deals’ service which enables businesses to provide deals whenever visitors check-in to a physical store. The new service is being tested with a limited number of partners, and all we currently have access to is a copy of an email sent from Facebook confirming one of the first deals being tested.
The email, which you can see on the All Facebook blog, describes a process that involves Facebook users checking in at a participating business location using Facebook Places, and receiving an incentive through the new service, Facebook Deals.
As of last week, Facebook’s official statement was: “As you know, we don’t comment on speculation. We have nothing to share at this time.” This new Facebook function is just rumor at this point, but is potentially one that will change your use of Facebook Places if it is fact.
Apple Buyout?
The rumor that Apple has been considering buying Facebook is not a new one. It resurfaced over the past few weeks after Steve Jobs said, on a third-quarter earnings conference call, that Apple is preparing their cash resources for a “strategic opportunity.”
With the speculation that Apple is preparing to buy Facebook, there is some discussion around what this will actually mean for Facebook users. As stated on the TUAW blog:
Every Facebook user would probably automatically have an iTunes Store account. FaceTime chat could be integrated into Facebook chat, potentially leading to increased sales of iOS devices. If Apple continues down the road of using not only phone numbers, but email addresses and eventually Facebook IDs as designated FaceTime ‘phone numbers,’ then 500 million users would already have a FaceTime ID to use when all telephony goes VoIP.
What Does This Mean for You?
Both of these rumors could impact the way you use Facebook for your own business and if you manage Facebook activity for your clients, particularly the Facebook Deals possibility. Plus, if you are a developer who develops or manages apps based on Facebook technologies, a buyout by Apple may mean a change in how and what you’re able to develop, among many other possibilities.
Last week, Facebook sent out media invites to a curiously vague “mobile event” taking place this Wednesday which could confirm at least one of the mentioned rumors. According to TechCrunch, the announcement to be made is unknown, but they speculate that it could be the announcement of the long-awaited iPad Facebook app, the Facebook Deals service discussed above, or possibly even launch of the Facebook Phone.
So for now, we have to wait and see what happens later this week. Do you have a guess what the announcement might be or if either of these rumors will become fact?
Alyssa GregoryAlyssa Gregory is a digital and content marketer, small business consultant, and the founder of the Small Business Bonfire — a social, educational and collaborative community for entrepreneurs.
