I said it was going to happen. Of course, it happened sooner than I thought it would. But I'm more than pleased to announce that my prediction was correct. Facebook is now offering Skype video chat.
WebProNews reported the news over the weekend.
So what's this mean for small businesses? Imagine this:
Suppose you were able to embed a Skype button onto your business page at Facebook so that people who view your page could contact you via Skype in real time. No need to Like the page. They can, of course, do that if they want. But what if they have a question about your service or product? They click the Skype button and video chat pops up on your screen. You're at your desk so you answer.
- "Good morning, Facebook friend. How are you?"
"I'm fine, Mr. Product Salesman. I have a question about your red, white, and blue widget. Does it dance and sing the National Anthem?"
"It sure does. And it curtsies and says, 'Happy Fourth of July' too."
"Marvelous! So how do I buy one?"
And then you can direct your new customer to your website to make a purchase. Wouldn't that be cool?
Well, according to Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, this ability is right around the corner. The particulars on how Skype video chat will work on Facebook are not yet known, but you can be sure we'll find out in short time. That's great news for small business owners.