Facebook’s standalone Events app has received a significant update, which comes with a full rebranding and more opportunities to discover local highlights.
No longer being focused exclusively on events, the app has been renamed “Local.” In addition to being able to find local events, the new app allows for the discovery of restaurants, bars, and other local businesses.
You can search for events and places nearby, whether you’re in your hometown or visiting another city. It’s the new destination for planning a night out with friends.
That could spell bad news for competing services like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Bandsintown, and others. This is especially a concern when you consider the amount of business pages and event listings Facebook already has access to.
Facebook’s Local app also has the competitive advantage of being integrated with the world’s largest social network. That means you can see what friends are doing, as well as share your plans with others.
You can receive recommendations from friends, see what’s trending near you, or follow one of Facebook’s curated guides.
With the ability to schedule plans on a built-in calendar, so you don’t even need to check your calendar app to see what’s going on in your social life.
What Does This Mean for Marketers?
Let’s face it, not everything Facebook develops is a smash hit. However, if the Local app ends up becoming wildly popular, marketers will have to step up their Facebook game.
If you’re marketing a local business, keep its Facebook page regularly updated. Take every opportunity you can to create an event page.
- Having a sale? Create an event page.
- Launching a new product? Create an event page.
- Hosting an event? Well, it goes without saying that should have an event page.
More event pages means more opportunities to get discovered in the Local app. When you’re discovered by someone who wasn’t previously following your page, it helps to see some recent activity.
The new Facebook Local app can be downloaded from the iOS and Android app stores, but it doesn’t seem to be available outside of the US.
