facebookprofessionalservices

Are you looking for a good electrician or a reliable plumber to fix something in your house? You will soon be able to find local service providers on Facebook. The new feature aptly named Facebook Professional Services, lets users find local businesses and read ratings or reviews within the social network. There are over 80 business types, ranging from healthcare to automotive, including wedding planning, and even home decor. The new service can be accessed via this URL: https://www.facebook.com/services/

 The new feature has been accessible for over a month; however, it is still in its testing stage, so no official word from facebook yet. When you access the URL a big site-wide banner will appear, alongside two search bars that ask for the location and the appropriate keyword you’re searching for, such as mechanics, restaurants, or shopping malls. Below the main bar is a four-column section, listing the different industries that are in Facebook’s database. (see photo below)
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For example, if you’ll click “Restaurants” Facebook will showcase a list of diners available in your area. On top of that, you’ll be able to read reviews from other Facebook users, and even use an interactive map to find the location.  The results page also displays businesses contact information, operating hours and physical address.

It looks like Facebook Professional Services is currently a desktop-only feature, and should be ported to mobile devices if it becomes successful. This new service offers businesses yet another way to promote services locally while reinforcing the importance of getting good feedback and reviews from customers on social media.