I really think Facebook can do it. I think that with it’s new Open Graph partnerships/technology, Facebook will become the thread that ties our web experiences together.
For years, the top web companies have been vying for the ability to tie-together everyone’s web experience. What do I mean? Well, our browsing experiences are incredibly fractured. We use different browsers, different computers, talk with different people, use different email accounts, have bookmarks all over the place…see what I mean? When I find a great website, what are my options?
- Post the link to Facebook
- Post the link to twitter
- Bookmark the link in my browser
- Bookmark the link to del.icio.us (web-based bookmarking)
- Email the link to people that might like it
- Post the link to my LinkedIn status
- Post the story to Digg.com or Reddit.com
There are obviously tons of options that I didn’t mention. The problem is that different tools are used for different activities. Some things I know my followers on Twitter would like, and others are perfect for my friends on Facebook. Some things I just want to save for later, so I bookmark them. Some things I want to share with one or two people, but not a large network, so I email it.
The problem with this is structure, is that I end up with a collection of youtube favorites, links I’ve posted on Facebook, my Twitter history, old emails, etc. that are a collection of the things that I like online, and of the things that I’ve shared with my networks. But these things are all in different places.
Facebook is trying to become the central hub of things you “like” on the web. Here is an excerpt of their recent blog about the issue:
We think that the future of the web will be filled with personalized experiences. We’ve worked with three pre-selected partners—Microsoft Docs, Yelp and Pandora—to give you a glimpse of this future, which you can access without having to login again or click to connect. For example, now if you’re logged into Facebook and go to Pandora for the first time, it can immediately start playing songs from bands you’ve liked across the web. And as you’re playing music, it can show you friends who also like the same songs as you, and then you can click to see other music they like.
So there you have it. Facebook wants to be your online identity. Considering you’ve already filled out a profile with all sorts of information, pictures, links, etc., I think it makes sense. And of course, as an advertising agency, we are pretty thrilled about being able to target people more effectively. If we have a client that wants to sell volleyballs, I can use facebook to target people that have “liked” pages relating to volleyball. More information = more targeted advertising. It’s that simple.
