Anatomy of a Facebook Offer (And the Top 3 Ways to Snag One)

Facebook’s great for talking to friends and catching up on current events but, honestly, some days all I want to do with Facebook is shop and eat. So it’s great that Facebook works so well as a savings tool at my favorite stores and restaurants. The best part is that Facebook does all the work. It literally throws savings at me. And it can throw savings at you too. Here are three ways you can snag all the best Facebook offers.

1.) Check out check-ins. Checking-in on Facebook isn’t just about showing your “I was here” stamp to your social network. It’s about saving too! You can check-in on Facebook for iPhone via the “nearby” tab in your menu bar or the “check-in” button on your profile page. You’ll see a list of local retailers and, if you’re lucky, some of them will have little yellow or green tabs next to them.

If a retailer has a yellow tab, that means there’s a discount for customers who check-in on Facebook. If there’s a green tab, that means that part of your purchase will go to charity if you check-in. You can also earn loyalty rewards to places you visit frequently, after you’ve checked-in a certain amount of times.  And, sometimes, if you tag your friends when you check in, they can get in on the savings too. It all depends on where you shop and what your store is offering that day! It’s easy peasy, and win-win for everyone involved. If you want to check out what deals are in your area before you head out to shop with your smart phone, just visit the Facebook Deals page here and enter your location. Here are the deals in my area!

 

Not bad!

2.) If you eat it, “like” it!  Facebook restaurant offers are awesome. I’d never, ever have to pay full price for eating out again, even if I just mobile couponed exclusively with Facebook offers. Don’t want to pay full price for your food either? If you like a restaurant in real life, “like” it on Facebook. Pretty soon, it will feel like you’re finding meal deals in your Facebook feed every day. When you do, just click on the link to “get offer,” and Facebook will send you an email coupon you can redeem straight from your mobile phone. (I created a coupon folder in my inbox to keep my coupons organized.) Recently, I claimed an offer for a free starter at P.F. Chang’s.

I get a tingly feeling all over whenever Facebook gives me free lettuce wraps. I promise you will too.

3.) “Like” your favorite coupon apps and bloggers on Facebook too!  It’s easy to overlook news in your Facebook feed, so it helps to up your odds of finding a great deal. The more couponing experts you follow on Facebook, the more frequently you’ll find out about deals! Plus, when you “like” apps like Wrapp and shopkick on Facebook, you’ll learn how you can maximize your rewards on certain days of the week. (Wrapp Wednesdays and Bonus Walk-in Kicks days are the best.)