By Erica L. Fitzsimmons
Overheard on the DC metro this morning – “The best way to get in touch with me is definitely through Facebook.”
Really? I thought, as the train doors opened. Facebook as the easiest way to contact someone?
While I’m still somewhat of an old-fashioned e-mail girl myself in terms of the best way to contact me, that may all be about to change. On a Wednesday afternoon in April, while you were probably busy at work, Facebook made what may be it’s first real advance in taking over Internet as you know it.
With Facebook’s new policies and platforms announced this week, to help knit Facebook together with other online services, Mark Zuckerberg & Co. set out on their unspoken quest to dethrone Google and rule the world (wide web). Just some of the changes: Open Graph, the new Facebook framework will enable developers to exchange and share information, allowing what Facebook says is a more personalized online experience. The Facebook “Like” button will be dotted all across the Internet on different websites all eventually linking back to Facebook (Isn’t this a dig at Digg?). These changes put Facebook increasingly at the nexus of the Internet experience as it becomes ever more social, and everyday users, consumers and advocates crave more interaction, ease and fluidity throughout their online experience.
While Facebook was already basically without any viable competition from other social networking sites, these changes aggressively position Facebook as the obvious leader in online public relations and advocacy campaigns – allowing advocates and professionals alike to weave a seamless web between different platforms, websites, users and interactions.
The new Facebook platform will blur a brand, or issue across multiple channels, for a more comprehensive and fluid campaign experience, creating more inclusive online communities rather than separate pods across multiple platforms.
As many advocacy and PR professionals continue to be behind the curve when it comes to online engagement, these Facebook changes have only accelerated both the pace and relevance of communicating with users online across a multitude of channels – all leading back to the 500 million strong community of already engaged online activists, that is blowing away the competition and continually changing the face of online marketing and advocacy with every click of that “Like” button.
With these changes, before we know it, the best way to get in touch with everyone may be through Facebook.
