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There Will Always Be A Version Of Facebook That Will Be Free
April 10, 2018
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It seems every six months - people and publications spread rumors of Facebook rolling out a consumer and/or brand pay to play business model
Facebook typically replies with "There are no current plans to charge."
And this week - the rumblings of a paid Facebook plan got louder.
First, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg alluded to (Facebook PR said she was "speaking hypothetically") a paid Facebook product in an NBC interview:
And following Sandberg's paid hypothetical, Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, testifying on Capitol Hill, left the notion a paid model opened when he said there will always be a free version of Facebook:
Zuckerberg: "Yes, there will always be a version of Facebook that is free." https://t.co/wJqYcrXvsI pic.twitter.com/ZHPpPUnjs1
— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) April 10, 2018So what if Facebook added a subscription layer for consumers?
Would consumers still see Pages?
Or what if Facebook became a space where they did away with organic (free) reach for Pages in favor of only paid reach?
What could you say about your Facebook use as it is right now?
Did you cultivate new and/or deeper relationships with the audience you can transfer off Facebook and back to the airwaves?
Did you create goals (beyond page views) to use Facebook every week to find 'holy crap' moments to remind members of the audience they matter?
Did you use Facebook in a meaningful way?
Facebook has never been about gaming fans, pushing out what we want to say (or our prize wheels).
It should always be about coming at content fromtheirpoint of view; offering what's valuable, personalizing acknowledgement
It's about understanding liquid content - sharing stories people crave - triggering dialogue.
It starts with the following fundamentals:
Creative Must Be An Experience
User action ("touched content" - commenting, sharing, etc...) determines how well you're moving the audience.
If people aren't "touching" your content - it's not an experience.
Show Don't Tell
Nobody cares about our wrapped vans. What they want to know is what it feels like to hang around you.
Bring Them Along, Literally.
Allow them to take over a social account. Treat them as a part of the family.
Be Genuinely Interested
Often you'll see people talking at us, ignoring comments on Facebook Live videos; self-involved stuff.
But if you're not interested in what the audience has to say, no doubt they will eventually create loyalties elsewhere with someone who does find them interesting.
In a way - the notion of a paid Facebook business model should serve as a great reminder.
The essence of social is an interactive experience.
And when we get it right, we see increased 'tune-ins,' greater time spent listening and an overall more memorable reputation.
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