Facebook Providing Beacon Technology to Retailers

New program allows retailers to apply for free devices, when they participate in Facebook Place Tips program.

June 12, 2015

NEW YORK – Facebook is now offering free beacons to retailers and businesses that use the social media giant’s new Place Tips service, according to an article this week on Re/Code.com.

Place Tips, which works by showing Facebook users posts and photos about a specific retailer when they open the app within the actual store, was tested earlier this year among a small group of businesses in New York City, and will now be launching nationwide. As part of their launch announcement, Facebook provided an application for partner businesses to request a free beacon for each of their store locations.

According to Re/Code, the idea is that beacons — small devices that can send a signal to a person’s smartphone when they get within a certain proximity — can be used to push information and deals to people while they’re in a prime position to make a purchase.

Facebook has designed its own beacon, which is being produced by an external manufacturer. And while the beacons themselves aren’t expensive, Facebook is still making an extensive commitment to provide the complimentary devices.

Beacons were also a hot topic at this spring’s Conexxus Annual Conference. To learn more about the increasingly popular mobile technology, read “The Beacon Breakthrough” in the January issue of NACS Magazine.

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