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No one at Facebook would claim what was stated in the headline. Instead they would be quick to say that they had this change in the making for quite some time and there is no connection to what Google is doing over at Google+. I get that because that’s what companies do when they have been “one-upped”: they lie. By now we all know the game so it doesn’t matter like it used to (which says a lot about how far backwards we are heading at times).
Facebook’s new method for organizing friends in the Facebook system was rolled out yesterday and the post from the Facebook blog gives the following description of the changes
Lists have existed for several years, but you’ve told us how time-consuming it is to organize lists for different parts of your life and keep them up to date.
To make lists incredibly easy and even more useful, we’re announcing three improvements:
Smart lists – You’ll see smart lists that create themselves and stay up-to-date based on profile info your friends have in common with you–like your work, school, family and city.
Close Friends and Acquaintances lists – You can see your best friends’ photos and posts in one place, and see less from people you’re not as close to.
Better suggestions – You can add the right friends to your lists without a lot of effort.
Friend Lists are completely optional. If you don’t like lists, you don’t have to use them.
Here is a screenshot for you as well.
The Smart List idea is clever but it is still a way for Facebook to group things to their advantage. In other words, these lists are automatically set up for you based on “relationships” you have with people. The example they give is funny since I am a BC alum but I must admit that I paid extra close attention.
For instance, if you list Boston College as a school you’ve attended and your friends John and Sarah do too, then you would instantly have a smart list called “Boston College” with John and Sarah on it. This means that if you’re having a grad party or a college reunion, you can easily share photos with just your college friends, without bothering other people you know.
So just how many of these pre-packaged lists will I see? That’s a good question. Based on how this post reads they will be set up and then I will have to decide whether they work or not. In other words, Facebook is forcing people to work harder to do the segmentation work that Facebook needs to be more targeted for advertisers.
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The nice thing about Google+ for now is that advertising isn’t part of the equation. Oh it will be but it will probably look so much like search ads that most of us won’t even notice or won’t care like those that take place in Gmail.
Facebook on the other hand is all about trying to get the most information they can and to maximize their revenue sources using user data. Fair enough especially since there are rumblings that Facebook’s revenues may have recently fallen far short of projections.
As for the rest of the segmentation options for friends, it’s simply a common sense move to make it easier for people to get back to having friends and acquaintances versus calling everyone your friend. This move by Facebook may just bring some meaning back to the word friend!
So in the end, it’s safe to say that Google has rocked Facebook’s boat a bit. Maybe the next thing Facebook will do better is their mobile offerings. After all, the Google+ app for Android is pretty sweet. I still struggle with Facebook’s app and wonder if I am getting the full experience in the mobile space.
As for marketers? It will be interesting to see just how this reclassification opportunity takes hold and what it means as to where and to whom ads are served. It’s obviously too early to tell any of this. The biggest factor will be the rate of adoption of this new feature and its acceptance by a traditionally fickle Facebook user base.
Will you complain about these changes or be happy that Facebook has your best interests at heart (wink, wink, nod, nod)?
I do not see the point in Facebook trying to compete with Google+. No people I know use gmail let alone know what Google+ is. I think a lot of us forget that Google services are still most popular with professionals and general geeks (like me!). These are the people who will get the most out of the groupings. It is important to realise that these two services are still very seperate.
I’ve tried, really tried with Google but I must be suffering from social media fatigue because I just can’t be bothered perservering with it. Facebook is just too easy, relevant and most importantly, it is populated by millions of people so I don’t have to go looking for connections/friends. I will go for the low hanging fruit everytime and I guess I am not alone.