A number of key themes are emerging in the reaction to the launch.

1. Privacy – this feature, and its perceived privacy issues add to the continued discussion and concern around Facebook and its handling of privacy
2. Local – local is big, its a growing source of discussion, technologies and investment. Facebook with its massive audience, is the 500lb gorilla in the room in many digital arenas, local is no different. Its entry is going to help bring Gowalla & Foursquare type functionality and usefulness to a much broader audience. How other players sit alongside Facebook will be interesting to watch.* Importantly for marketers this will bring this exciting space to maturity faster.

*Gowalla & Foursquare where present at Facebook HQ for the announcement and are partnering with Facebook in the Places product.

Features Include:

1. Check into a location
2. Tag a friend at a location
3. See people who are at the same location (people are displayed for a limited time period)
4. Read comments from friends who have been to a location before

The three things that brands/products need to do now to align with the Facebook updates are:

1.    Update brand/product web properties to allow users to “Like” the brand
2.    Integrate Facebook Activity Feed on pages so users can see friends who share brand/product affinity
3.    Leverage the improved Facebook Connect to allow users to log in to branded experiences on brand/product web properties.

Platform Updates

During the f8 conference, Facebook announced some updates they had made to their platform. These updates create an improved experience for users.

Permissions Dialogs
Facebook is changing the way users have to grant permission through third-party apps or Connect partners. They are combining all the Permissions Dialogs into one-click dialog and process.

What this means:
The user will be presented with a more standardized permissions dialog and making it easier to engage with third party applications and Connect partners.

More Permanent Cache
Facebook recently had a policy that only allowed data to be stored for 24 hours on a cache. They have decided to eliminate this policy and move towards a more permanent cache. This will allow for further tracking and engagement opportunities with users.

What this means:
By expanding the length of time data can be stored, engagement and personalization activities will become enhanced with increased functionality.

Open Graph

To create a more “Social Web” Facebook has announced several updates for their Open Graph. The open graph maps the Facebook graph to other platform graphs around the web, creating a more social, personalized, smarter, and semantic web. Below outlines these updates and what they mean for marketers.

Facebook “Like” Button
Facebook launched the “Like” button to allow users to share content and connections within their news feed with one click. The like button will power a suite of social plugins. These plugins will allow owners of websites to utilize Facebook functionality within their site.

Activity Stream Plugin: Allows the users to see the likes and comments that are restricted to a site’s domain from Facebook users. Seen on CNN.com

Recommendations Plugin: This plugin creates a personalized recommendation service for any website. The content will be delegated by the most relevant to the user; not simply most emailed articles.

Facebook Connect Login Plugin: For sites using Facebook Connect for Login, the login plugin will show a standard login button and once logged in; the users will see profile pictures of the user’s friends that have already joined the site.

Social Toolbar Plugin: The toolbar (similar to the Meebo toolbar) will live at the bottom of the screen and utilize the Facebook functionalities such as chat and the “Like” button as well as shows the pictures of the user’s other friends who are on that site.

What this means:
Facebook has created an open platform that allows its functionality to live and be utilized on sites outside of Facebook.com. With the various plugins, site owners can use the connectivity and social networking functions on their site to not only allow users to engage on their property, but also be shared within their own social network.

The Open Graph will allow brands to better connect their Fan Page, website properties, content, and customers by providing familiar functionality and connecting individuals to one another and content.

Meta Tag Protocol
The Open Graph protocol is creating a spec of meta tags that can be used to markup a page. In the case of sites like Pandora, Yelp, and IMDB, users are currently creating profiles of their likes across various media; music, locations, and movies, respectively. With the new Meta Tag protocol, when a user clicks “Like” on these sites, their “Favorite” information on their Facebook profile is updated.

What this means:
According to Facebook, “For years we’ve been saying that Facebook is an open platform. For the first time “Likes” and interests in my profile link to pages off of Facebook.com. My identity isn’t just defined by things on Facebook. It’s defined by things all around the web…. The connections between people/things they care about will be as big as hyperlinks.”

Graph API/OAth 2.0

Developers on the Facebook platform are given a little more flexibility with content and information on the Facebook platform. With multiple updates to the Graph API and a shift to a more industry standard Authentication, Facebook is creating a more developer friendly platform.

Graph API
Facebook has rebuilt and rearchitected the Graph API from the ground up. They focused mainly on simplicity and stability when building (http://graph.facebook.com). To build within the Facebook Graph API, developers should only need a web browser and CURL, no longer needing SDK or documentation to download a piece of data from Facebook. Now every object has a unique ID code, allowing developers the ability to utilize any piece of content or data.

Facebook also opened a more robust search for developers allowing them to search all public updates on Facebook.

The third update on the Graph API is implementing Real-Time into the API. Using Webhooks, developers can register callbacks to Facebook that pings every application integrated within Facebook every time a user updates their profile, posts a new wall post, etc.

What this means:
Developing on Facebook is becoming easier and more robust, allowing for more interactions, information, and real-time content. Allowing devs to develop using multiple pieces of content will provide a more personalized and customized experience for the users.

OATH (Open Authentication) 2.0
Facebook is also revamping the way their authentication works. At the f8 conference, Facebook announced that they are adopting the industry standard OATH 2.0 (Open Authentication) for their authentication making Facebook development work simpler and better.

Conclusion

Facebook is leading the way towards a more social web. With these announcements and extending their functionality past the Facebook.com domain, brands can now utilize the power of Facebook within their own web properties creating a stronger connection with their customers. These announcements also allow for visitors to a brand’s site to connect with one another through content, comments, and recommendations based on their own personal social network.

Building on Facebook has never been easier with a more robust Graph API with more flexibility with content and information. The expanded cache will allow developers to create a more personalized, customized experience for users on brand applications and Fan Pages on Facebook.

Social Platforms

Meebo’s Enhanced Social Play
“Meebo — which facilitates the integration of multiple services like Facebook and AOL Instant Messenger in one interface — has launched XAuth (Extended Authentication), which automatically recognizes active social platforms and lets users connect with ease on participating publishers’ sites.”

The idea is to increase engagement while diminishing user confusion.

Facebook Makes Major Announcements at F8
The “Become a Fan” button has become a “Like” button. Based on Facebook’s research, they found that users are two times more likely to press a “Like” button than a “Become a Fan” button, increasing engagement with brands.

Facebook also announced the development of the Open Graph API that will allow the “Like” button to be implemented almost anywhere on the web, increasing the reach of Facebook. The Open Graph API also allows people and brands to pull fans from Facebook to other web properties.

Facebook F8: One graph to rule them all

How Big is Twitter
Twitter announced this week for the first time, the actual size of its registered members. According to Twitter they have over 105 million worldwide registered users with 180 million unique visitors every month.

Twitter Stays Strong as Growth Slows
Traffic on Twitter has begun to plateau according to Comscore, Nielsen, and Compete. However, engagement on the platform continues to grow.

Mobile Technologies

Use of cell phone for pictures and video popular across age groups
Here is a great visualization of the rise of the use of mobile technologies across the “Teen” demographic for multimedia (photos and videos).

Foursquare vs. Gowalla: Who’s Winning the Geolocation War? [INFOGRAPHIC]
A great infographic of the battle between Foursquare and Gowalla, both geolocation platforms for mobile technologies. Users “check in” to locations they visit to score points and update their friends.

Decreased Media Usage Hurts Ad Market
Ad spending was down in 2009 as was the amount of time users spent with media (12 hours/day down from 14 hours/day). Every media witnessed a decrease in activities except one; mobile, which was up 39%.

Talk time on mobile was up 12%, while average daily mobile Web use rose 36% to 11 minutes. Texting was also up, by 55%, to take up 27 minutes a day in 2009.

Online Video Viewers Hungry for New Tech
With YouTube turning 5 this week, we still see it reign king in online video ranking way above other video platforms. However, we’re beginning to see a shift from strictly user generated content and more towards network programming and news.

How do the Most Successful Companies use Social Media?
The social media tools studied are diverse and serve many purposes. Companies reported using these tools for several reasons. They reported that the tools provide the following:

• Another way to communicate
• Added value to customers
• Product/brand awareness
• Ability to keep up with trends and competitors
• Demonstration of product
• A more cost effective and productive form of marketing

Portals Vital for Users and Marketers

“eMarketer estimates more than 57% of all US online ad revenues will go to the four major portals in 2010. By 2011, nearly 9% of total media ad spending in the US will go to these four sites.” An amazing display of the continued power of Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL.

Full Details On Twitter’s Long-Awaited Ad Platform: Promoted Tweets
I’m sure you’ve probably heard about the Promoted Tweets on Twitter. It’s a long-awaited ad platform that will be pretty exciting to see it play out. There was a lot of buzz this week around the new launch, so here are a few other articles with different opinions.

Businesses Split on Paying for Twitter

First Take Analysis: What Twitter’s “Promoted Tweets” Means To The Ecosystem

Facebook May Be About To Jump Into The Virtual Currency Offers Game
Virtual currency is becoming a huge hit online… So big in fact, behemoth Facebook is getting into the mix. With no real details about what offers they will provide, it’s a great mystery to see how this virtual currency will work in Facebook’s favor. Then to see how brands can tap into the predicted $2 billion/year industry.

Consumers Follow Social Brand Referrals
68% of consumers said they would be likely to buy a product or visit a retailer fan page based on a positive referral from a friend. By engaging our online community in a positive, “shareable” manner, we can tap into their social network and begin to build new, positive relationships.
What is a Facebook Fan Worth?
$3.60 each… According to AdWeek, “On average, a fan base of 1 million translates into at least $3.6 million in equivalent media over a year. The company’s findings are based on impressions generated in the Facebook news feed, the stream of recent updates from users’ networks.”

Integrate your social channels – if your audience lives there, it is great to be engaged with the consumer through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social channels BUT they could be stronger if you shared content across each space and the home website.  For example, by embedding the branded YouTube channel within your Facebook page and dotcom you are able to aggregate comments for a higher number of users and more consistent engagement with users.   Also, you are able to cross promote each channel.

Consistently engage – After activating a Facebook page, blog or other social channel a brand must continue to share content and engage in conversations with the fans.  If you lose momentum you will have to restart your efforts to engage the audience.  By continually sharing and conversing with online users a brand can then build a lasting relationship;  a relationship that will be stronger in the long run rather than one promotion to capture the audience for a moment.

Drive content to current fan base – Many companies want to build a new fan page with every promotion or product release.  Facebook allows you to build a tab within the current Facebook page which allows the brand to engage the current audience rather than expect followers to move from one page to another or build a brand new fan base.  The wall allows the promotion or product to have a life of its own through tab specific content and wall while aggregating on the main page to assist with consistent content and reach out to already establish audience.

Make conversation relative – Many brands converse with consumers in one of two ways.  A. over-promoting product or B. chit chat which does not help build a strong presence within the space but rather a bunch of BS with brand mentions here and there.   The goal when engaging with the consumer is to understand their interests related to the product and fill the gaps, what does the consumer want?  By fulfilling the consumer’s pain points and needs the brand is creating a positive consumer reliability and brand/consumer relationship.

Measure, revise, repeat – after activating a social strategy be sure to measure, understand your strengths and revise your strategy to strengthen your efforts. Maybe add a conclusion section wrapping up key points.

In the end, I am encouraging companies to treat social like other advertising and marketing strategies.  You must start by recognizing your objectives and then aligning them with the overall strategy.  It does not happen overnight and will take continual effort.

Now here’s the question… Chances are your brand(s) advertise on Google based on keyword searches… Everyone does it simply because of the targeted nature of search and the expanse of reach that Google provides. It’s a no brainer, go where the consumers are. But what now; Now that the consumers are shifting to Facebook? We should be on Facebook. It seems like another no brainer right? Are you on Facebook?

Now I’m sure if you’re not on Facebook, the thought of it frightens you. The small loss of control, the conversations that people are having, and actual interaction with the customer can all be very intimidating, even to the most seasoned marketer. So much so, many companies are staying away from the platform and social media all together. It’s new and hard to define. We have no idea what will happen in the social space. However, we should know what we’re missing.

Enter the second article… In the article “Social Fans More Likely to Buy,” eMarketer points out reasons people become fans of brands on Facebook and the driving forces for them to purchase. As we can see in the graph below, Social Fans are very likely to not only purchase from the brands they are “Fans” of but also recommend those brands creating a level of trust, word of mouth, and earned media that static platforms like Google cannot offer.

So now you’re probably asking, “why would anyone become a “Fan” of my brand on Facebook?” Simple… it makes their life easier and more involved. As we see from the second graph the top reasons for “Fanning” a brand are:

•    To receive discounts and promotions (become a more empowered consumer)
•    I am a customer of the company (show loyalty and enhance advocacy)
•    To show others that I like/support the brand (allow your brand attributes to define them as a person/customer)

It’s an amazing shift in why people become a fan of a brand, but shows the realization of individualized, personal marketing that a platform, like Facebook could allow.

If you’re a marketer of a brand, your goal is to get your brand in front of as many eyes that you can, as well as persuade toward a purchase. Google may give you an opportunity for the reach and allow you to display an advertisement, but Facebook offers you much, much more. It not only gives you the eyes you want and the advertising you desire, but also provides you with a platform to interact with customers and communicate on a regular, semi-intimate basis; to give them discounts and promotions; to enhance loyalty and build advocacy; and provide an outlet to let your passionate followers shout to the world that they are your customer. It’s a simple thought… communicating with your customers. One that should NEVER be scary.

“This Nielsen report establishes social media as a trend that is not only here to stay, but one that is growing at a mind-boggling magnitude,” stated Bloggerwave Director Ulrik Thomsen.

What does this mean for brands?

Everything! As more people are not only flocking to the social platforms, but also spending more time on these platforms, we see a more robust, engaged audience. Sites like Facebook and Twitter (both of which were key components in the expounding growth) are becoming an intimate, personal place for users to visit and build relationships with friends, family, and affinity organizations/causes. Creating a strategy to not only get permission to participate into that online personal life, but also build two way conversations and engagements will create an amazing mutual relationship (marketing) channel with your consumers. Imagine having these personal, relevant relationships with your consumers… What could that do for brand loyalty, advocacy, and passion?