Facebook Bluetooth beacons are a new way for you to connect with your customers. Even better, they’re FREE. Basically, Facebook Bluetooth beacons help people see more information about your business whenever they use Facebook during their visit.
For now, Facebook Bluetooth beacons are still in testing phase. However, you may still be able to get access by filling out the request form on the Beacon site, but there is no guarantee that you will actually get one.
How Does It Work?
When people visit your business and open Facebook, they’ll see Place Tips with information about your business such as:
- A welcome note and photo
- Prompts to like your Facebook Page and check in
- Posts from your Facebook Page
- Their friends’ recommendations about your place
Awesome, right?
Set That Baby Up
This is super easy. First of all, you need to be inside of your business and make sure that your Page has a valid location. Then, you:
- Remove the beacon from its packaging
- Remove the stick on the back of the beacon
- Place the beacon on a clean wall or surface in a safe and central area within your business
IMPORTANT: Facebook Bluetooth beacons are designed to be active in one location. If you set up your beacon somewhere other than the address associated with your Page, Facebook will detect that it is incorrect and turn off place tips for your Page.
P.S. Privacy Is A Promise
The beacons use Bluetooth technology to send a one-way signal to the Facebook app on your visitors’ phones to help Facebook show them all the right information. Don’t worry, the beacons don’t collect any information from people or their phones or change the kind of location information Facebook receives. They’re also designed to not disrupt your Wi-Fi connection or other equipment.
Good to Know: Only people that have location services enables on their phone and have Bluetooth turned on will receive Place Tips from the beacon at your business.
F.Y.I.
If you’re doing a double take at the name, your mind isn’t just playing tricks on you. Beacon was originally launched on November 6, 2007 to allow targeted advertisement and users to share their activities with their friends. Beacon would then report to Facebook on its members’ activities on third-party sites that also participate with Beacon. The controversial service was shut down in September of 2009. The new hardware version of Facebook Bluetooth Beacon was released in February of 2015.
