Facebook released the Facebook Card, a type of gift card that allows people to exchange presents across the social media site. Social media marketers should take note – this new feature will allow companies to better connect with audiences through the spirit of giving. The Facebook Card can now be loaded by big name brands like Olive Garden, Jamba Juice and Sephora, but may roll out to smaller companies and retailers in the near future.
The new card allows users to give gifts from multiple brands to friends and family using one card – the Facebook Card. According to Facebook, the card can hold balances from many retailers at once. A user could have gift balances from a few of their favorite retailers – $6.00 to Starbucks, $140.00 to REI and $85.00 to Target – and use them as they see fit.
It’s easy – A Facebook user buys a gift card for his or her friend, who receives it in the mail a few days later. Now that the recipient has a card, it can be loaded over and over again with more gifts.
“You can view your gift balances in your account settings on Facebook from your phone or desktop. Facebook will let you know when balances change by sending a real-time notification to your phone.” -Facebook Newsroom
Brafton has reported that 500,000 brands are now using Promoted Posts, showing that many are already using marketing and advertising features on the social platform. The Facebook Card may be another opportunity for marketers to connect with target audiences. After all, everyone loves a gift.
