Facebook Beacon was originally released in 2007 as a way for users to benefit from targeted advertising while also sharing the information with their friends. Unfortunately, the release of the Facebook Beacon was a spectacular disappointment that caused users to unintentionally share private information and forced the worldwide company to seriously redevelop the concept. Fast-forward eight years to 2015 and Facebook is re-releasing the controversial Beacon concept with the intent to encourage businesses to utilize the service for their own marketing benefits and will be known as “Place Tips.”
“Place Tips” will utilize beacons in local businesses to locate potential customers and advertise to them in their news feed just above regular content. If a potential consumer wishes to opt out, they can simply turn off their location services and Facebook will not be able to retain any information regarding their previous locations. If a consumer opts in, they benefit from targeted promotions and deals that they may not have been privy to before and ultimately introduces new consumers to the participating businesses-it’s a win-win.