Facebook testing coupons as premium ads
Facebook is testing a new premium ad offering: coupons. Pages can post a coupon to their users, redeemable either in-store or online, as well as use that post as an ad unit on the Facebook homepage, according to Inside Facebook.
"We think this test is complementary to the other products we offer businesses and we hope to learn more about how this might work for both merchants and customers," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. This new ad offering is part of a limited test and Facebook won't yet say what its plans are going forward.
If you see the coupon ad or the post on a given Page, there's an option for you to click Get Coupon. Facebook then posts this action to your Wall, sends you an e-mail with the coupon, and asks you if you want to share it with friends.
In August 2011, Facebook killed its Facebook Deals product. After four months of testing, the social networking giant called it quits. This was just a week after Facebook had killed Facebook Places, but left Check-in Deals alive.
Check-in Deals allows you to check in from restaurants, supermarkets, bars, and coffee shops using an app. In turn, you are rewarded with discounts, coupons, and free merchandise.
This new type of coupon promotion Facebook is testing is different than Check-In Deals, for a few reasons. The most obvious is that Facebook Check-In Deals are only available through mobile. That's because you have to check-in to take advantage of them, while this new test seems to let you get a coupon just by browsing Facebook.
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