Facebook is Cool Again

by Jason

April 5, 2009

I have never been a huge fan of Facebook. I recognize its power as a network and communication tool enough to have been on the bandwagon since the beginning. But I have never invested in it like I have in other social networks. That being said, Facebook is doing a pretty kickass job of learning some new tricks lately. And I am paying attention.

Twitter should really be taking notes too.

Facebook Owns Their Mobile

Twitter’s simple and open API provides a lot of opportunities for Twitter as a platform. But their reliance on third party apps has left them uninvested in their own mobile technology. Facebook, despite their lacking mobile app, has recognized the importance of owning a large part of their mobile presence. When they announced that Facebook Connect would now be integrated into iPhone apps, they changed the game in a big way. They have leveraged their large network as a value add for other services. Establishing a foothold in the fastest growing mobile internet platform is a very strong business move and more importantly brings more value to their users.

Facebook Allows Filtered Content

One of Twitter’s keys to success is the simplicity of the platform. So anytime one argues for them to add features, thoughtful consideration is key. But if you take a look at some of the most successful Twitter platforms have shared a key feature, the ability to filter content. Tweetdeck, FriendFeed, Tweetgrid, Cotweet, and others all allow some level of groups or sorting of content.

Facebook’s new front page, while a shock to the system for many, needs closer consideration because of its ability to filter information. Facebook groups have been around for some time, but they have had little use outside of privacy settings. Allowing the user to filter the content they receive by creating their own groups creates a high value experience. It makes the vast amount of information within one’s friend network more accessible and more relevant. These are keys to valuable consumer engagement. You can also create a smarter feed by removing certain apps or users from the information stream. Again, more relevance.

Facebook Listens, Who Would Have Thought?

After trying to make a change to their TOS without much announcement or consideration from users, Facebook quickly opened up their TOS changes to input from the community. They followed a key rule for the internet and life – when making a mistake, acknowledge it quickly, apologize, and fix it. Very soon after, when users were unhappy with major Facebook changes, they used the same open dialogue to include users in fixing the issues. The changes they made really did not address the meat of the issues users had. Most users wanted their old Facebook back. But the effort quieted the mob, and they actually got some great input that improved the changes even more.

The Greater Good

The fact that Facebook is continuing to innovate and add value to their network and others is a great thing. It will drive other social networks and online technologies to keep up. Competition fuels innovation, creating more value for the end user.