Facebook launches Preferred Marketing Developer program
Facebook on Thursday announced the combination of the Preferred Developer Consultant (PDC) and Marketing API (MAP) programs, and the launch of the newly created Preferred Marketing Developer program. There are now 232 companies based in 35 countries who specialize in Facebook Platform and Ads tools.
PMDs will benefit from a new ability to connect to leads via an improved lookup tool, display badge qualifications on their websites to show specific areas of expertise, and a revamped developer website.
Companies such as Buddy Media http://www.buddymedia.com and Wildfire http://www.wildfireapp.com kickstarted their business in the PDC program, which first launched in 2009 as a way to help brands and organizations build Facebook apps and Pages and optimize social plugins. In three years, the program grew from 14 initial companies to about 90, before merging with MAP.
“As the Facebook economy has grown, so has the need for those who are experts in our products. We've seen companies like Vitrue grow from 66 employees to 180 and French agency KRDS expand to five offices around the world Facebook said.
It said that a number of developers have risen funding. Last month, HootSuite Media secured $20 million, "one of the largest venture capital funding deals in the last decade for a young Canadian Internet company (Vancouver Sun, 3/29/12). Bazaarvoice‘s February IPO raised $114 million Fluid’s recent $24 million funding will go toward hiring approximately 200 people in the next two years.
Over the past three years, the Preferred Developer Consultant (PDC) program and Marketing API Program (MAP) have connected brands with developers to help them build apps on Facebook Platform, optimize social plugins, manage ad campaigns, and develop strategies for Facebook Pages.
“Today we're announcing that these two programs will merge to become the new Preferred Marketing Developer (PMD) program. The goal of the PMD program is to bring developers to the right clients and make it possible for any brand or company to find consultants who can work with them to build comprehensive Facebook campaigns and presences”, it said
