A couple of Facebook users are seeing an “Add to Map” button in the top corner of their profile page. The new feature encourages users to post content that will be visible on their map and Timeline. It also allows them to indicate a place they’ve been to and tag friends they’re with. Facebook is still testing the Add to Map feature but it has been deemed as part of the social media giant’s strategy of integrating location as a core part of their product.
How Facebook’s Add to Map Works
To use Facebook’s new feature, click on the Add to Map button found at the top corner of the profile page. It will show a pop up publisher window, allowing users to write a status update, set the date, tag friends, and choose who can see the post. The Add to Map will change to Mapped, and the content will be visible on the user’s map and Timeline activity.
Map Your Facebook Photos
Prior to Add to Map feature, the Timeline already features a new map on profiles to show all location-based details of a user. This includes images with tagged locations of where you lived, your previous trips, and where the important events in your life took place. However, all of the information can be included straight from the Timeline.
A user can map his or her Facebook photo by visiting the Timeline profile. Click the map found below the cover image, and hit Add Photos to Map located in the upper-right hand corner. A filmstrip of photos will appear, letting users add tags and type the location on the drop-down box.
Benefits of Facebook’s Location-based Features for Businesses
The Add to Map and Add Photos to Map, encourage Facebook users to fill in their Timeline with information that can be used for targeted ads or recommendations. By knowing the places that a user frequently visits, businesses can create targeted ads relevant to their favorite spot across the country.
The feature will also help them leverage their business on the social network. As more people visit their location, the higher the chances that they will be tagged on Facebook. This activity will be visible on the user’s Timeline, which will appear on their News Feed. In turn, their business will be promoted further, while garnering more customers through social recommendations.
Initially designed to make schoolmates connected, Facebook now has more than 800 million users worldwide. And with the features that they’re testing, it’s safe to say that they are not just creating links between people. They’re also helping businesses to connect with their target market.