Facebook E-mail Is the Missing Piece of the Puzzle

Facebook has an invitation-only , and most of the media and tech blogosphere are speculating that the social network plans to unveil its own Web-based e-mail service. If those predictions are accurate, Facebook e-mail will provide a critical missing element for Facebook as a business marketing and communications platform.

Yes, I know it's a social network and many businesses are still struggling with understanding what the point is. For most businesses, the debate is still between trying to grasp the value of establishing a Facebook presence as a marketing tool, and whether or not to simply ban access entirely to prevent users from wasting their time and exposing the company to unnecessary security risks.

Consider for a minute, what Facebook has to offer, though. It already has messaging capabilities that can be used to communicate with other individuals or groups of individuals within Facebook. You can share links, photos, and video clips as well. It also has an instant messaging chat component, and the recently launched partnership with Skype opens up VoIP (voice over IP) voice calling, and group chat possibilities.

With Facebook Places, and the newly launched Facebook Deals, Facebook now provides even more benefits for brick and mortar retail establishments. Businesses can use Facebook Deals to provide incentive for customers to check-in on Facebook Places, and as those users check-in it feeds the word-of-mouth marketing advantages of the social network.