You may have seen the recent news about Facebook testing ‘Offers’ for Ecommerce sites. Brands will be able to push digital offers through the timeline to their communities and these will be redeemable for the first time on the retailer’s website at checkout.

At present this functionality is in test phase with a small number of Facebook’s closely affiliated brands (read brands that spend millions in advertising with them!) but if successful could be extended to encompass the same functionality that Bricks and Mortar offers provided 2 weeks ago. Facebook has a habit of testing functionality way in advance, and in December they were obvioulsy enthused by the results.

Why is this relevant? Well, brands can now monetise their existing Facebook community as long as they have a direct online retail element. It means that we have the opportunity to start pushing online redeemable vouchers to Facebook fans and test how engaged specific communities are and how open they are to sales opportunities. So, what’s the ROI of your Facebook communities? Quite a big deal, I’m sure you’ll agree.

There’s no time table for when Ecommerce Offers could become publicly available. When it does come into force, coupons will be free to run, but brands will pay Facebook to show their Offers to more people (just like FB ads). Do you think this finally offers brands the ability to monetise their Facebook communities?

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So, LinkedIn recently agreed to purchase presentation-sharing website SlideShare for £73m. The acquisition wasn’t completely out of the blue for those in the know. As Rashmi Sinha, SlideShare co-founder stated in her recent blog, the two companies developed close ties following the opening up of LinkedIn’s developer platform.

The LinkedIn community of 161 million professionals has been designed from the ground up to connect industries and individuals and make them more productive and successful. It appears a natural extension of the brand to allow its users to show off their skills and knowledge through the functionality of SlideShare, dubbed ‘the YouTube for slideshows’ (catchy.) LinkedIn’s thinking is that ‘presentations strengthen your professional online identity’ and that they help you spread and discover professional knowledge.

Combined, the sites boast more than 136 million monthly unique visitors, an impressively large community of professional eyes and ears. But, what does this marriage mean for the various parties concerned?

What does it mean for the current LinkedIn community?

Good news really. There will be increased functionality within LinkedIn to allow users to further show off their skills and knowledge through presentations – great for those looking for a job or to connect with prospects. According to LinkedIn CEO, Jeff Weiner: “These presentations also enable professionals to discover new connections and gain the insights they need to become more productive and successful in their careers, aligning perfectly with LinkedIn’s mission and helping us deliver even more value for our members. We’re very excited to welcome the SlideShare team to LinkedIn.”

What does this mean for LinkedIn shareholders?

On a year to date basis the LinkedIn stock is up more than 60% and that was before the acquisition news – the news for shareholders continues to be rosy.

LinkedIn stock is soaring

What does this mean for Slideshare users?

Since SlideShare’s founding in 2006, users have uploaded more than 9 million presentations. The big question is will we see this content used by LinkedIn advertising in much the same way that Facebook sponsored ads work? Rashmi sought to reassure SlideShare users that they had their interests at heart when she stated: “The SlideShare you have come to know and love will remain a place where you can continue to upload, share, and find presentations that help you grow professionally.”

After such a big financial outlay LinkedIn must be looking for way to further monetise the SlideShare offering. Stay tuned for further news.

Of course LinkedIn have created a slideshare to celebrate why they are so perfect together! 

LinkedIn and Slideshare

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