PlacePop, Inc., has launched its Facebook application, built on the newly available Facebook Places API. The PlacePop app lets people begin to organize, visualize and make use of the rapidly growing stream of “check-in” data on Facebook.
Facebook Places has the potential to be one of the most significant value-creating events from Facebook since they opened the developer API in July of 2007. Three years after the API’s launch, the top 50 third party apps receive 617 million unique visitors per month, and more than $5 billion in enterprise value has been created by developers such as Zynga and Playdom.
With its focus on real-world activity around local businesses, the Facebook Places API may present an even bigger opportunity for third party developers. While the social gaming/virtual goods market is estimated to reach $1.6 billion in 2010, the traditional local advertising market by comparison was valued at $141.3 billion in 2008. The digital side of local advertising (which encompasses mobile, online local directories, local search, and online classifieds) is expected to grow from $14 billion in 2008 to $32.1 billion in 2013.
PlacePop aims to leverage Facebook’s API to help users and business owners unlock value in Facebook’s ‘check-in’ data, by providing local recommendations, loyalty programs and ultimately rewards via the Facebook platform. Through a suite of mobile and web-based applications, PlacePop will provide businesses a marketing platform for reaching, rewarding, and growing their customer bases through Facebook Places.
Features of PlacePop’s new Facebook app include:
– See what places are trending (popular) among your friends
– Track statistics about your own check-ins, and see your entire location history
– See what places are most popular in your friends’ network
– Real-time feed of where your friends are
PlacePop’s free Facebook application is available at http://apps.facebook.com/placepop/. Learn more about all of PlacePop’s products at www.placepop.com.
Stay up to date about new releases by following PlacePop on Twitter and Facebook.
http://apps.facebook.com/placepop/