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Category: I’m on Facebook — Now What???

Why I think Facebook Mail is a Good Tool

Posted on by jessestay

My Co-Author, Jason Alba, is having a bad day today. I’m sure I haven’t helped, as we both have had somewhat heated discussions over the design of the cover of our book among other things (we think we’ve got a good idea for it though!). Not just that, but now I’m going to disagree on the points he made in his blog today.

While I’m of course very much for social networks (please, invite me to more!), while I’ve also probably sent Jason several large attachments as we’ve discussed our book back and forth (did I mention we now have a Facebook Page – become a fan!), while I’m sometimes a jerk, and I’m definitely a genius :-P, I understand his points in those items. What I don’t agree about however is that Facebook mail can cause people to pay less attention to you.

You see, I’ve actually used Facebook mail to my advantage several times. There are several of my Facebook friends, and even non-friends (remember, I only add people that a) are truly interested in me, or b) I have personally interacted with – this ensures my network stays strong) who I know receive thousands of e-mails per day. I also know people are generally hesitant to use Facebook mail due to its current limitations.

Because of this, using Facebook mail actually had the reverse effect one would think it would. My mail got attention from those users – some times they asked me to e-mail them personally after my initial contact, but now they knew who I was and had established a personal communication with me. Not just that but they had my picture and profile information to find out more of who I was. I now stood out in their mind, and to me, that’s valuable.

While Jason may not want to be contacted via Facebook, I suggest you try it some time to another person you need to get in touch with. I guarantee, while they may not contact you right away, they will be more likely to read and pay attention to your Facebook mail than they would a regular e-mail from you. After your first contact – sure, go ahead and send them normal e-mail!

Now, as to the issue on Cc: vs. To: that Jason mentions, Gmail takes care of that for me! Everyone is a To: in Gmail’s terms, so that’s all I have to see. Now, if Facebook could just have a Cc: and forwarding/reply system. 🙁

Apple Continues its non-Innovative Approach

Posted on by jessestay

In the spirit of an older post of mine, in this rather humorous ad by Apple, they continue to prove they aren’t innovative by copying the name of the book my co-author, Jason and I are writing (and Jason’s previous, “I’m on LinkedIn — Now What???” book featured recently in Money Magazine):

Danny Sullivan Just Doesn’t Get SNO

Posted on by jessestay

Dave Bascom, of SEO.com, and also a good friend of mine, recently reminded me through a blog post of his about Danny Sullivan’s Whiteboard Daily Search Cast where he criticized Facebook ads as a “revolution”. Danny goes on to say that because search ads are being “requested” by the user, search engine advertising is much more of a revolution than that of Facebook advertising.

I respectfully disagree with Danny here. I think Danny is getting his terms confused. While SEO is the process of me getting what I have requested, search engine advertising is not that case. Advertisers on search engines do not know who I am and therefore cannot detect the best ads to send my way. Because of this, it is extremely easy for advertisers to get what I am truly looking for wrong, and especially hard to convince me that I should buy their product. Advertisers only know what I’m searching for – not who I am, not who my friends are, and therefore what search engines can deliver is extremely basic. Search Engine advertisers (note I’m not saying SEO here) are still pushing ads to me, many of which are not what I want to receive.

Facebook, on the other hand, is a search engine’s biggest competitor in the ad space. Facebook, in essence, has on top of the existing internet, created a personal internet for others to use, associate with friends, purchase from retailers, do business, you name it. People remain on Facebook (and other social networks) because it is where their friends and family are. Facebook knows these relationships, these interactions, and all about who you are and what you are looking for. Therefore, all Facebook needs to do is give a basis for businesses to do business on top of their “personal internet”, and now all users have to do is search within Facebook and they can get way better search results than a normal search engine could ever give you. Facebook has done this with their platform. They’ve done this with their “Facebook Pages”, and they’ve also done this through Beacon.

Now, add to that the ability for advertisers to convince your friends to tell you about your product. Danny, it’s not about getting into “the conversation”. Facebook isn’t just a “conversation” – I use Twitter for that. Facebook is a lifestyle – it’s a way of living. It’s not about someone, even a friend entering the conversation and saying, “hey – do you want a new iPod?” It’s about me and my friends talking about what we’re getting for Christmas, and one of my friends knows I’m looking for an iPod, and tells me about a cool deal on iPods he discovered. Facebook is not an interruption – it’s a natural evolvement of life. Well-placed ads in Facebook are those that Friends tell other friends about. They’re about me seeing what my friends are doing, and realizing – hey, my friend just shopped at Fandango (hi Phil!), maybe I should shop there too!

I am going to be blogging here really soon about a term I call Social Network Optimization (there’s also a chapter in my book), or SNO. While SEO is all about defining your place in a linked relationship between websites, SNO adds a layer to that by defining your place in a linked relationship between real people. You’ll start seeing more and more SNO as social networking becomes more and more used. Is SEO dead? I don’t think so – a good company will need to find ways to utilize both techniques to place themselves optimally on the web. SEO could eventually evolve more and more into SNO, but SEO I think will always be around in some form.

SNO and Facebook ads are the new revolution. Viral and Permissions marketing is here to stay my friends – Danny, I’m sorry, but I think you’re wrong on this one.

I’m on Facebook, Now What???

Posted on by jessestay

I think it’s blatently evident that I, Jesse Stay am on Facebook. Now what???

Actually, that’s exactly what. For the past few weeks I have been mentioning on Twitter that I have been working on a “super secret project”. That project is actually a book that I am writing with Jason Alba, founder of JibberJobber.com, and author of I’m in LinkedIn — Now What???. Jason and I are both excited as to the potential for this book to get people excited to use Facebook.

In a slight change from my direction of being a Facebook developer, I am going to use this expertise to give non-developers and business people a new insight on Facebook, and how Facebook could indeed be used for the average Joe, or even in a business sense. I get the question all the time, “Why should I be on Facebook?” This book will answer that question, and more. I’ll write about things like privacy issues, and a new term, which I’ll blog about later, “Social Network Optimization”, which I see as a layer on top of what SEO can do for you.

Jason’s expertise in the job market and what job hunters and seekers, as well as businesses themselves are looking for brings a unique view into how people seeking to use Facebook as a tool can find value. I’m excited to have Jason’s help, and previous experience in authorship on this book. I think Jason’s a smart guy.

If you have any input or suggestions on what you would like to see in the book, or things you like or dislike about Facebook, including tips and tricks, and would like to have an excerpt credited to you in the book, please contact me. Like in Jason’s “I’m on LinkedIn, Now What???” I’m very interested in having lots of quotes from every day Facebook users and how they like to use Facebook.

If you are a blogger, in the media, or have expertise in the area we are very interested in Endorsements and reviews as well. Contact me or Jason and we can send you a pre-edit copy of the book for you to look through, give input, and review before it gets published. We’ll publish the best endorsements and reviews. Please let me know if you have any further suggestions on how to spread the word.

We’re hoping to release the book to readers around January, making it one of the first books on the topic of Facebook to be sold thus far.