Back in September Facebook began offering to a limited audience its new gift service which allows users to send real gifts to Facebook friends directly from within the network.
The system works by allowing users to choose a gift as well as a card to send to friends on Facebook. A gift notice is then posted on the friend's timeline or sent as a PM (private message).
The friend can then unwrap the gift virtually before receiving the real gift at their address. Gifts can be sent from birthday reminders or from a friend's timeline.
Facebook is also giving the option of paying right away or at a later time plus they also are letting friends exchange gifts for something else if they wish.
The gift service is being roll out to Facebook members globally over the next few weeks.
If successful this shift towards ecommerce or rather F-Commerce could spark a big change in the way users interact with Facebook. We already know that social network users tend to prefer to interact as much as possible within the network with an increasing tendency to even search and review products, companies and organisations solely using the internal search and friends and family recommendations.
Currently Facebook is working to attract big brands and is already working with retailers including babyGap, Fab, Brookstone, Dean & Deluca, L'Occitane, Lindt, ProFlowers, Random House, Inc. and NARS Cosmetics. How the service will develop and what opportunities there will be for smaller and more niche retailers remains to be seen.
In the short term it is now becoming even more important for B2C companies to ensure they have a positive social presence. For a nonsense practical approach to social media and online marketing talk to Extra Digital on +44 (0)330 555 5790 or visit http://extradigital.co.uk/
