800,000,000.
Can you think of anything that involves that number? Any stat that involves 800,000,000 people? Facebook. Facebook now has 800,000,000 active users. That’s by far more than any other website on the internet.
For those of you who are still not sure about what Facebook is, Facebook is a social networking website that allows you to have a digital ID (profile) and share what you’re doing with others. This allows you to interact with people that you normally wouldn’t get the chance to interact with on a daily basis. Sure, you’re going to see your co-workers daily, or your family, but what about distant cousins? What about the family parties and vacations you want to share with your co-workers? Facebook bridges the gap for keeping in touch and sharing your life.
The old Facebook seemed to have focused on establishing your social network. It was about reconnecting with old friends, establishing what you “Like”, and sharing your daily activities.
The new Facebook is now geared towards a higher level of social interaction. Facebook doesn’t want you to share every night “Justin Basch is cooking dinner”. Facebook is now integrating social apps into the platform, to allow you to share what you’re cooking, who you’re cooking with, and to push finding new friends based on these common interests.
The Profiles are now changing to Timelines (http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline). Your “Digital ID” has now turned into a digital scrapbook/life story. Facebook is gearing the website to be your online home – if it isn’t already.
The founder and CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has said before and will again, that he wants to change the world. I think he’s starting to do it. Facebook isn’t about the billions of dollars its worth, to him. To him, it’s a platform to change the world. To change how we all act and behave on a daily basis.
The capabilities Facebook is offering has never been seen before in any capacity. To have a digital timeline of your entire life, a map of all the places you’ve been, reports of your activities and friends, and to share everything you do and connect with those around you on a level anticipated.
Last year, Facebook introduced the Like button. This was rapidly spread across the web like wildfire. You’ll even see it at the top of this page (when you’re done, press it!). This like button allows you to simply show your 500+ Facebook friends that you liked an article and you recommend that others check it out.
Same with Facebook comments. While Facebook comments haven't been integrated on a large shopping platform, you can imagine how reviewing a product on Amazon.com via your Facebook profile with the new Facebook commenting system. could influence those around you. This comment system allows people to check out product reviews from real people they know, and not just see “John Doe” commenting. They give your reviews, recommendations, and feedback a "real-life personality" to go along with it. Those recommendations and reviews now have a whole new imapct.
This all changes the way we read, how we buy, and what we do. We’re a lot more likely to buy a product that your highly-respected friend bought and positively reviewed, just as much as we are likely to read that article that your brilliant shy co-worker "Liked".
But this isn’t anything new .This all came about last April.
However, Facebook is at it again. Aside from redesigning the "Profile" into a "Timeline", Facebook is launching an entirely new “Open Graph” data structure and also releasing an entire new set of Social Apps, allowing us to take that social interaction we’re beginning to know and love, to a whole new level.
These new social apps are going to intrigue us to be more social. Whether it’s by sharing what we’re eating using an App such as Foodspotting, or sharing where we went running and who we went running with via the Nike+ app, or listening to music another person is listening to using an App such as Spotify.
The new Facebook will let you watch TV and movies, listen to music, and read news with your friends. You don’t need to be on the couch together to watch a movie. You don’t need to be in the car to listen to music together. You can now interact on an entirely new level -- by hopping on the internet.
Just when you thought video chatting, instant messaging, and email was changing the way you interact and keep in touch, Facebook is making you think again. Facebook is preparing to roll out all the new features on September 29th, encouraging more social interaction and more engagement than ever.
For more on all of the Facebook platform upgrades, you should watch yesterday's Keynote speech from the f8 conference. For more on Facebook and Social Media, check out our Social Media blog category!
Basch Solutions, LLC - a Rochester Website Design and Website Development company, has been executing social media strategies for many of their clients since the take-off of social media. If you'd like help, send us a short message or give us a call today!
