Facebook has started rolling out a free Bluetooth beacon to small and medium sized business (SMBs) in the US to help them get more customers through the Facebook news feed.
The Bluetooth beacons are capable of detecting the location of potential customers who are close to the business, and sends information about the products and services.
The device is available to businesses who request them, but presently only a handful of business in New York have been given the device for free.
Previously, the social media giant introduced Place Tips in News Feed which showed content posted by their friends at a particular place, along with popular items found in the place and related events.
With the new diamond shaped device, businesses will show up the place tips related to their business.
It is reportedly an initiative by the company to help SMBs generate more business.
Facebook said in a post: "We’re now providing free beacons to more businesses in the US.
"Because Place Tips are meant to offer people useful and interesting information about the places they visit, we’re prioritising beacons for businesses with active Pages full of content — such as photos, check-ins and status updates — from both the business and its customers."
To get information about a particular place, users must share their location on Facebook, and the switch on the Bluetooth of the device to pair it with the beacon, and have Place Tips enabled to get the information.
However, Facebook assured that it will not post any information on the Facebook wall of the user or show other users where the user is.
