DUKKY

Just in case you’ve been hiding out under a rock with no Internet access all week: yesterday Facebook announced its highly anticipated location feature, dubbed “Facebook Places.” Facebook Places is just starting to become available to users, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to try to decipher what it means for marketers. With that in mind, here’s a round-up of some of the best resources for understanding Facebook Places and how it could affect your business:

Mashable: A Field Guide to Using Facebook Places

Mashable’s guide to using Places is primarily focused on users, demonstrating how to check in, add places and customize your privacy settings. There’s also a useful section on how to claim your business on Facebook Places.

PC World: Three Ways Businesses Can Take Advantage of Facebook Places

PCWorld writer Tony Bradley shares ideas for how your business can use Facebook Places to build customer loyalty and promote positive word of mouth.

MediaBistro: Agency Execs Weigh in on Facebook Places’ Marketing Implications

Robson Grieve of Creature, Kevin Purcer of Erwin-Penland and Frank O’Brien of Conversation discuss Facebook Places and how marketers can use it to connect with consumers without making themselves unwelcome.

Duct Tape Marketing: 5 Reasons Why Facebook Places is Kind Of a Big Deal

Noting that Facebook already has a much larger user base than services like Foursquare and Gowalla, Duct Tape Marketing’s John Jantsch goes on to explain why Facebook Places could be a much bigger deal to marketers than previous location-based services.

AdMaven: 5 Ways that Facebook Places Will Change the Marketing Game

Nicholas Kinports describes 5 ways that Facebook Places will affect marketers. Mostly, he talks about helpful new capabilities (once Facebook works unleashes its advertising tools) such as the ability to create a “swarm” of customers when business is down and the ability to get more data about your customers’ behavior.

What do you think of “Facebook Places?” Will it be a game-changer for marketers? And how will it affect startups like Foursquare and Gowalla?