WHAT IT IS
Putting an end to lengthy media speculation, Facebook launched its entirely new opt-in feature”Nearby Friends” last month. Designed specifically for the social media giant, Nearby Friends allows Facebook users to connect with friends who are close by and even share their exact location via an iOS or Android device. Facebook users will now have the option to notify friends who also use the feature if they are in the same neighborhood, park, or shopping center.
HOW IT WORKS
Nearby Friends has made its appearance within the apps list on Facebook’s navigation menu. Users can opt in to the program and even set who they wish their location to be shared with. Once a user opts in, Nearby Friends displays a list of friends who are in the area along with their distance away in fractions of a mile. Other information provided includes last time and location of check-in.
In addition to receiving your friends locale, Nearby Friends also allows users to send a friend your precise location with the press of a finger. Forget the frustrating prospect of tracking down your buds in a busy stadium, or colleagues for drinks in a crowded bar. Nearby Friends allows you to meet with ease.
The innovative aspect of Nearby Friends which separates it from so many other location sharing apps is its focus on friends within your specific area. It presents location based on proximity, as opposed to a specific location. instead of seeing all your friends, you’re focusing on those who are actually close to you. clearly, this innovative feature results in incredible opportunities for location-based marketing.
WHY IT MATTERS
Target marketing just got a brand new bullseye. We’ve already been carving out specific audiences for Facebook advertisements, but now the door is open for adding location to our list of specifications.
The opportunity to place the right content in front of the right people at the right time has never been more real. Imagine a nightclub with the capability to present advertising solely to Facebook users listed within their entertainment district. Better yet, a lunch spot with the marketing leverage to specifically target those who work in their neighborhood. Nearby Friends has potential to give any business that leverage.
While Facebook has not yet opened Nearby Friends to social media advertising, any logical analyst would place the app on such a path. If and when Facebook does allow advertisers to create location-based content, the opportunities for reducing wasted posts, increasing core audience reach, and maximizing marketing value are seemingly endless.
