Socialmediaworx

On Monday, The Limited begins selling one of its most popular items someplace new: Facebook streams.

People who have signed up to be Facebook “fans” of the women’s apparel retailer will receive a status update in their news feeds offering them a special 30% discount offer on its infinity scarf. Then, if they want, Facebook fans can buy the product right from that feed page, sometimes known as the wall–all the way through entering their credit card details and shipping address.

The sales messages will only appear in the feeds of people who have already signed up to be fans of the brand, or who have friends that decide to share the offer with them.

It’s one of the most direct attempts yet to make Facebook a platform for sales, not just advertising and marketing. Brands have previously used Facebook to run ads, set up fan pages–and even to sell products on a separate tab on their fan pages. But this is the first time commerce has been inserted directly into the the heart of Facebook, says Resource Interactive, the marketing agency that came up with the approach.

“The vast majority of the interaction and the communication happens along the wall,” says Dan Shust, the director of emerging media at marketing agency Resource Interactive. “A lot of tabs and secondary experiences on Facebook aren’t getting as much interaction as brands hope.” That, Shust adds, “has made us look at the wall for a place to complete the transaction.”