Facebook Gets Visa Business Network

Some people still think Facebook’s just for college kids and tech geeks.  A certain credit card company’s got $2 million saying they’re wrong.  Today marks the launch of the Visa Business Network on Facebook.

Small business owners are supposed to join the network and find new allies and customers from there.  A number of tools will be available for free, along with advice from sources like The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Entrepreneur.

 Visa Business Network Launches

This all sounds nice enough.  Then there’s one extra draw: "Visa will provide the first 20,000 U.S.-based businesses that join the Visa Business Network with a $100 Facebook Ads credit, allowing business owners to reach the exact audience they want on Facebook through advanced targeting capabilities," according to a release.

Visa didn’t so much as a mention LinkedIn or MySpace; Mark Zuckerberg’s site seems to be the sole recipient of its blessing.  With social media monetization remaining a controversial topic, this development looks very good for Facebook.

Antonio Lucio, Visa’s chief marketing officer, stated, "Working with Facebook, Visa is breaking new ground by harnessing social networking to connect business owners.  We are putting the power of the network in the users’ hands, and it will be fascinating to see how the community evolves."