Black Friday 2011: Wal-Mart Leaks Deals on Facebook

Black Friday 2011 buzz is already underway as we're barely into November, and companies like Wal-Mart are using social strategies to build awareness for their own big deals weeks before they happen. The retail titan plans to show many of their biggest deals for the year's biggest holiday shopping spree early via its website and Facebook page, according to CNN.

Users who sign up at WalMart.com or on Facebook (presumably after a gate to "Like" the page) will then have early access to the store's catalog for Black Friday 2011. They will receive the deals well before those who first find the deals in the print catalog and other traditional ads.

It should also be assumed that Wal-Mart plans to shower Facebook fans with niche products on sale as well as deals that could appeal to almost any consumer. Whether the company plans to offer deals exclusive to Facebook is unclear.

It's an excellent strategy for reaching tech-savvy consumers who may already have an idea for what they want or what they need to get for the holidays. Buyers in that area are presumably an area of growth, considering they already know they will bring in millions of consumers waiting in long, cold lines, thumbing through print catalogs and circling their favorite items.

What do you think of Wal-Mart's Black Friday 2011 strategy? Share your thoughts in the comments.