Chat rooms, personal websites, blogs, micro-blogs, online social networks; these are all examples of ways to communicate using technology. We are constantly trying to find ways to stay connected, advertise, or communicate with the rest of the world. How we choose to stay connected varies from person to person but, online social networks, especially Facebook, seem to be at the forefront for teenagers, college students, professionals, businesses, advertisers, and even political figures to stay connected and get messages out. How is Facebook a possible channel for successful communication?
Facebook was started in 2004 by a Harvard undergraduate student, Mark Zuckerberg. It started out as an exclusive social network for registered college campuses. Facebook served as an information service for peers in your class and on campus. “Before Facebook added the feature sets it has today, it was simply a more complete student directory” says Nisan Gabbay. The popularity of Facebook grew through e-mail marketing, viral feature sets, and word of mouth. Facebook was initially used buy college students, but grew to include professionals, businesses, and advertisers. How many people do you know on Facebook? Think how many friends you have on your network that are in the work force already; that is a huge communication tool at your fingers. Oddly enough, I got an internship through sending a Facebook message to a friend that was looking to hire interns in their office.
Part of Facebook’s success with college students was due to trust. It was offered only to those that could prove they had an “.edu” email address with their school. Also, the fact that a college student had created the service made it easier to buy into than if an actual company was offering the service. The privacy Facebook offered also created a sense of exclusiveness which made students want to be a part of the social network. When Facebook first came about, I know that I had a lot more information on my profile than I do now that it is open to almost anyone to see. The privacy settings on Facebook still provides a certain sense of security but, you still have to change the default settings in order to ensure privacy from certain members.
Facebook can be a successful advertising tool for companies due to the number of users. “Having the attention of 90% of students attending a university lends itself to online classifieds, event listings, e-commerce, and lead generation” from Nisan Gabbay’s case study. Facebook opened its doors to outside the .edu network to include employees, employers, and others to join the community. Using Facebook for advertising allows you to target your audiences through networks. Facebook is better than other social networks, such as MySpace, because of its “deep penetration” within micro-communities. Facebook has a different user base than MySpace. Facebook’s core users are college students and young adults, while MySpace is largely teenagers. I personally don’t have a MySpace account because I don’t feel like it is a secure network or that it will provide the services that fit my life. Think of it like this, what is the first thought that comes to mind when you think MySpace? I think of a younger crowd because it was initially for people who were not able to prove they had an .edu email address. The advantage of Facebook’s user base is their access to money and interest in products and services to purchase.
Facebook has become a network that provides a way for people to stay in touch outside of school, at work, in the industries, and to advertise. Facebook is a successful channel of communication due to its number of users, its diversity in users, and its options for advertising to its users. If you know of other services or networks that might be a successful communication channels, feel free to leave a comment. Also, if you disagree with what I have found, let me know because I would love to hear an opposing view on Facebook since I have yet to hear one from people around me.
Facebook was started in 2004 by a Harvard undergraduate student, Mark Zuckerberg. It started out as an exclusive social network for registered college campuses. Facebook served as an information service for peers in your class and on campus. “Before Facebook added the feature sets it has today, it was simply a more complete student directory” says Nisan Gabbay. The popularity of Facebook grew through e-mail marketing, viral feature sets, and word of mouth. Facebook was initially used buy college students, but grew to include professionals, businesses, and advertisers. How many people do you know on Facebook? Think how many friends you have on your network that are in the work force already; that is a huge communication tool at your fingers. Oddly enough, I got an internship through sending a Facebook message to a friend that was looking to hire interns in their office.
Part of Facebook’s success with college students was due to trust. It was offered only to those that could prove they had an “.edu” email address with their school. Also, the fact that a college student had created the service made it easier to buy into than if an actual company was offering the service. The privacy Facebook offered also created a sense of exclusiveness which made students want to be a part of the social network. When Facebook first came about, I know that I had a lot more information on my profile than I do now that it is open to almost anyone to see. The privacy settings on Facebook still provides a certain sense of security but, you still have to change the default settings in order to ensure privacy from certain members.
Facebook can be a successful advertising tool for companies due to the number of users. “Having the attention of 90% of students attending a university lends itself to online classifieds, event listings, e-commerce, and lead generation” from Nisan Gabbay’s case study. Facebook opened its doors to outside the .edu network to include employees, employers, and others to join the community. Using Facebook for advertising allows you to target your audiences through networks. Facebook is better than other social networks, such as MySpace, because of its “deep penetration” within micro-communities. Facebook has a different user base than MySpace. Facebook’s core users are college students and young adults, while MySpace is largely teenagers. I personally don’t have a MySpace account because I don’t feel like it is a secure network or that it will provide the services that fit my life. Think of it like this, what is the first thought that comes to mind when you think MySpace? I think of a younger crowd because it was initially for people who were not able to prove they had an .edu email address. The advantage of Facebook’s user base is their access to money and interest in products and services to purchase.
Facebook has become a network that provides a way for people to stay in touch outside of school, at work, in the industries, and to advertise. Facebook is a successful channel of communication due to its number of users, its diversity in users, and its options for advertising to its users. If you know of other services or networks that might be a successful communication channels, feel free to leave a comment. Also, if you disagree with what I have found, let me know because I would love to hear an opposing view on Facebook since I have yet to hear one from people around me.
