Facebook now has over 100 million members but I’ve noticed over the past 6 months that I’m finding less and less time to login and follow what’s happening. This got me thinking about just how important Facebook is and how it fits into my online lifestyle and behaviour. I’ve got 241 friends, most of whom I found in the first week of signing up. Total number of direct communications I’ve had with these 241 friends if roughly 20!
I generally only add people I would class as at one time in my life a friend but the strange thing about Facebook from my experience and the feedback I hear from my colleagues at work is that no one really talks to each other over the social platform. Most people I believe use Facebook to keep in contact with their closest circle of friends. Facebook provides some fantastic social networking tool for friends but it seems most people find and accept friends just to compare their own status (work/relationship) to people they once knew. This must be the case or I and the 241 friends would have at least all emailed each other once.
Recent Facebook ad campaign
The Facebook site has continued to grow and its recent redesign has caused angry groups to react but this surley must show that its trying everything to get users interacting and talking more of people will be leaving in their tens of thousands and the site will become the next Friends Reunited.
In my opinion Facebook although fantastic still lacks in areas such as specialising in individual sectors or interests. This is where social sites like LinkedIn comes in attracting business professionals from around the globe and has started engaging with its user base more and making them loyal. The fact that LinkedIn can concentrate on one type of user the tools and site are so much better optimized. Just imagine how many types of demographic fit into Facebook’s 100m users.
Loyal users = social networking site success.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I totally agree with your thoughts on how and why people use Facebook.
People love the thrill of competition. That’s why we all love sport but it’s also why American’s attend High School reunions and why children the world over thrust their hands up in class and beg the teacher to let them answer the question…
So Facebook, and prior to that FriendsReunited.com, provide a platform through which we can all see where we fit in the social pecking order of our wider / historic peer groups. Once you’ve found out that the school geek is now a multi millionaire running a string of lap dancing clubs but that on the whole you’re doing about as well as most of your old mates then, for most people, the thrill of Facebook has run its course.
Using your experience it seems that the eponymously titled priniple of Vilfredo Pareto is in operation (as ever)…Perhaps something to consider in terms of expectation management when planning marketing activiity on social networks such as Facebook. Check out http://management.about.com/cs/generalmanagement/a/Pareto081202.htm for more details.
I have the same feelings about all social networking sites. The initial noseyness to find out who did best after they left school or who ended up marrying who doesn’t last… BUT the clever thing that Facebook have done in opening up their architecture and letting developers build applications that seemlessly integrate help maintain your interest… I’m currently playing ‘motorcycle madness’ with people I barely know – it’s a simple enough app, nicely designed, that keeps me coming back for more – and that means more advertising revenue for FB :)
Facebook hype is absolutely deafening right now. It seems as if “everyone” is going there and meeting up with “everyone” they ever knew. Well, I’ve been to high school once already and I don’t want to go back again. Don’t we already have blogs, home pages, web sites, message boards, email, and all the tools we need to stay in touch with the people that matter? Facebook is a mile wide and an inch deep. Hopefully the hype will soon run its course and we’ll get our Internet back.