WITH 200m registered users, Facebook is the biggest single destination site on the mobile internet and, with figures rising, the platform is fast becoming the social network’s most powerful tool for expansion.

It recently unveiled Deals, to encourage users to embrace its Facebook Places app and provide a platform for businesses to drive traffic and bring in new customers.

Currently only available in the US, Deals allows businesses to offer user promotions via Facebook Places, and is set to become a very valuable marketing tool.

For example, clothing store Gap is already signed-up and is giving away a pair of jeans to the first 10,000 Facebook users who check-in to a Gap store.

While another major brand, McDonalds, is donating one dollar to its children’s charity for each check-in.

With its reach, Facebook Deals is set to become a fierce competitor to Groupon, the leading deals-of-the-day website, particularly as the social network will not take a cut from the sales that take place via Deals.

For businesses, Deals provides an added incentive to establish a Facebook presence, by creating new revenue streams and allowing them to drive traffic and build customer loyalty with its bargains and discounts.

Restaurants, retailers and other businesses can promote their deals to anyone who “Likes” their Facebook Place. Facebook Deals will also push notifications to the Facebook mobile app when a user is near a location that offers one.

Exponential marketing can be achieved with Facebook Deals, as on average a typical Facebook user has 130 friends, which means that, when someone checks-in on Facebook Places to take advantage of a Facebook Deal, a business immediately has exposure to this audience. All of which makes Deals a very valuable tool for promoting your business.

Deals is set to be a massive hit in the UK when it launches next year, particularly as businesses can control how the Deals work, for instance, how many people can redeem the offer and its validation period.

It’s safe to say, over the next 12 months, there will be no curtailing of Facebook’s technological advancements and its influence on brands and consumers.