Thursday, April 2, 2009

Winning in the Facebook Era - There is No Privacy

My social Network on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter...Image by luc legay via Flickr

After that exciting session with Brian Oberkirch and Deborah Schultz I am now attending another marketing session "Winning in the Facebook Era" of Clara Shih (author of the book The Facebook Era). This session has a different tone.

Facebook has now 200 million users. It reaches to the furthest corners of the globe. There are 3 billion engagement minutes on Facebook per day. there are 660,000 developers of 180 countries working on FB development. Email as a communication has been surpassed in growth by Facebook.

Demographics: Facebook is fastest growing in the population between 35 and 49. Can anybody on the world doing business neglect the significance and importance of FB?

Clara continues talking about new marketing possibilities. What was already known 10 years ago as permission marketing is becoming even more important. She calls it "transitive trust". And it is basically the same message as I heard before: marketing is becoming more personal, emotional and it fosters weak ties (friend of friend's networks, that's the LinkedIn and the Xing type of interactions).

Facebook is CRM. And even better, because it gives you reminders and permissions to connect. And FB is bi-directional.

Clara continues to talk about monitoring brands: If you have a brand, what do people think about your brands? Have a look at Twitter. Just do a Twitter Search seaching for your brand name.

I have to stop here reporting about Clara's concepts in order to reflect because I am not sure whether I like what I hear. What actually Clara is telling me is that all networks can be and should be used for doing business. From a company's perspective, I see the potential, but where is the room for privacy, a business free room on the web? Will any network sooner or later be invaded by marketers? Can Web 2.0 also be a space where we just will be private? Clara, as a true evangelist is using a lot the term "getting a foot in the door". I am fascinated about the opportunites of marketing but at the same time I am hesitating whether I like that at all.

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Posted by Holger Nauheimer at 10:42 PM

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3 comments:

  1. I appreciate your sober reflection on should we embrace this idea that networks are for marketers.
    In reflecting on the point I feel the statement that 'all social networks will be used by marketers' is likely a truism. From my experience and person use of the networks - it is up to individuals will actively avoid the marketers.
    Let's hope that our social networks allow us space to avoid or engage marketers as we see fit.
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  2. My experiences with social networks is that marketing and sales activities by members needs to be regulated and monitored. Unfetted marketing on a social network will lead to a reduction in the quality of the dialogue and contributions and eventually to the death of the community. Skip
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  3. Its an interesting subject.. the fact we give up privacy by simply using facebook and the likes.

    Customer Relationship Management
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