Facebook For Business Launch Highlights Google+ Shortcomings

Facebook has taken advantage of Google's tardiness over business profiles on Google+ and launched its own Facebook for Business subsite. While not actually delivering any new features, Facebook for Business instead pulls together into a single place all of the social networking elements a brand might need to know to launch and run a fan page, including advice on dealing with customer feedback and how to create customized adverts.

"Facebook allows small businesses to create rich social experiences, build lasting relationships and amplify the most powerful type of marketing – word of mouth" a spokesperson suggested about the new pages. "We created Facebook.com/business to make it even easier for people to reach these objectives and grow."

However, the unspoken intent is likely a cocked snook in the direction of Google+, where businesses have seen their profiles deactivated and deleted as Google attempted to clamp down on companies repurposing personal accounts to instead promote their sites, firms and services. Social chief at the search giant, Vic Gundotra, admitted that the company's brand strategy had been "a mistake"; while plans had been revealed to begin limited corporate account testing, there's still no public timeline on when businesses will be able to set up shop on Google+.

[via GigaOm]