The Send button is a sign of how the way we use social networks is changing. (Image credit: Gadgetlite.com)
Facebook bombed with community pages. They have to be the worst and most pointless feature the social juggernaut has added in its time on top. No one uses them and they were obviously created by a bunch of IT guys and gals who thought they knew what users wanted but never asked them or looked at their online behaviors.
Facebook got it wrong with community pages. And they do change things for no reason way too much. But recently, Zuck and friends made a change that makes a ton of sense and has really opened the door to a new way to communicate within the social network — Facebook Groups.
The Groups evolution is really astounding, considering that as recently as a year ago, when someone asked me why a brand created a Facebook Group the most likely response was, “User error — they meant to create a Facebook fan page.”
Even though I’m a big fan of emerging technology, I’m also as big of a skeptic when a new or changed platform first surfaces. So I didn’t really understand what Facebook was trying to do when the “new” Groups came out. To be honest, they looked a lot like the old Groups to me. But the new Groups tapped into one piece of user reaction that when you think about it, you’ve probably heard as much or not more than any other Facebook feedback — the fact that users are really “friends” with all of their Facebook friends. In fact, most would prefer to have customized interactions with different subgroups of their Facebook friends.
That one piece of data alone was why the new Facebook Groups was so smart. And it’s why Facebook’s announcement of a Send button is even smarter. In the past year, I have used the “new Groups” myself, or observed others using the new Groups, in the following ways:
- As an extension of Twitter chat communities — e.g. #u30pro, #PRstudchat, #HAPPO
- As a way to discuss high-profile communications issues with industry leaders — Blogger outreach
- As a way to connect with a small group of people supporting a cause for a friend’s client
- As a way to share ideas with colleagues in other office via a closed group
- As a way to talk sports with friends who have the same addiction I do — Sports Thoughts
Outside of Facebook, there also seems to be a transition to group messaging or online conversations. At SXSW this year, it was a hot topic of conversation. In fact, I heard several people say it was the “hot trend” coming out of the conference. Our team from Fleishman-Hillard used group text messaging the whole time to keep in touch with each other. And back inside Facebook, this past week I received a an IM from one of the private groups I’m in that allowed all 17 members to chat with each other on the same thread.
What we’re witnessing is a behavior change. Facebook users want to customize the experience they have with different people within the platform and a Send button is the next step to making that possible. The group of “friends” I send a PR measurement article to may be totally different than the group to which I send a rant about the Royals. But what I like about the change is Facebook is once again listening to its users and letting their behavior dictate decisions.
How often lately have you seen a Facebook friend post a status and then tag a few people at the end of it. Almost like incorporating e-mail behavior into the social space. A Send button just makes that behavior easier to pull off. Sometimes users will want to post to all friends and still tag a few specific folks. But more and more, I think we’ll see users send specific posts targeted to specific groups of friends.
How do you think people will use the new Send button? Have you been an avid user of Facebook Groups? One thing I know for sure is that I’ve been skeptical of most Facebook changes in the past. Definitely Community Pages and the new Groups. But the Send button hasn’t launched yet and I’m bought in. Are you? If not, what will it take?
May 2, 2011
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