What Problem Does Facebook Solve?

Author: Jim Kukral Category: Facebook, Online Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter

Thursday
Nov 29, 2007

A few days ago I sorta quit Twittering, reading or writing. I’m still off the Twitter crack, for now, but now that I’m feeling refreshed like a summer’s breeze again, I am wondering if it’s time to just dump Facebook too.

I’m like the Heat-Mizer of social tools!

I swear this isn’t linkbait (Sam). You’ve heard me say this privately. I don’t “get” Facebook. At least Twitter was awesomely useful to me, despite being overwhelming.

Facebook to me is like a nice, more “friendly” version of Linkedin.

But at least Facebook is free.

So do I need to get rid of Facebook? The answer is no, but what do I really need it for? I don’t really go there more than once every few days, and that’s just to accept new friends, check a few spammy messages and see what everyone updated to.

I’ve heard friends tell me they are using Facebook hours out of every day… Doing what? Seriously.

Perhaps I’m just a fuddy-duddy. Perhaps I’m missing something. Besides being a glorified contact database for me, what other problems does it solve for me? I can’t figure it out.

The best tools and services are those that solve problems for me. I’m struggling to figure out where Facebook fits in that equation for me.

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Comments

Shawn Collins

November 29th, 2007 at 11:13 pm

One bit of collateral damage if you drop Facebook is that you will no longer be on the Affiliate Summit advisory board, since that’s where the group resides. ;-)

jen_chan, writer MemberSpeed.com

November 30th, 2007 at 12:41 am

Well, a lot of people do use Facebook for more personal matters. From a professional point of view, some users have fun trying to find more innovative ways to reach their customers or to spread an idea or campaign. Honestly, I just use it for leisure and not much else. If you’re not really using it to your best advantage, then perhaps it’s time to get rid of a little clutter. :)

Marc

November 30th, 2007 at 6:21 am

“I donâ€™t â€œgetâ€ Facebook.”

I’ll tell you why you don’t get it. You’re not scoping co-eds for 6 hours every night in the hope it could result in an intimate relationship. That’s what Facebook is for. I’m 36 but thinking back to when I was 19 it’s pretty easy to figure out and pretty easy to see why so many people over 30 are on facebook with this naive notion about “networking”.

Facebook is about… drum roll… trying to get laid. Trying - being the operative word. It is a place where young people can safely flirt and get to know each other in hopes of getting laid in real life. Meanwhile all us parents sign up trying to figure out what the hubub is. Yay, we get to hang-out online with our kids, but get bored quick when we realize their isn’t crap here to interest us. It’s the equivalent of you trying to entertain yourself with Duplo blocks Jim… Of course you don’t get what the draw is. You’re not the target demographic. If you’re a thirty something oldie like me in a committed relationship, then you’ve no doubt forgotten about the priorities of young people. Hooking up is priority number 1. It’s a law of nature and that’s what facebook is really about.

As a consequence, it will suck for most advertising although upselling to adult is a possibility. If you are a parent or a bit older you will struggle to make sense of it or think it’s great that you are able to friend your kids or whatever, but for the target demographic, it’s about what I said it’s about or something close to that. I think other than very broad branding FB is very limited. Co…-stanza.

Some people may disagree, but this is my broad brush of FB.

Rosie

November 30th, 2007 at 7:14 am

Yeah Facebook is all about socializing. People trying to do business on it are asking the same thing you are. I’ve been spending less time on it as well but I used to play those stupid application games Pirates or Scrabble or Browns Trivia with my friends who live back in Ohio. It’s like high school reunion or college reunion but on-going. So as far as how that is useful to you is up to you, I suppose.

Jim Kukral

November 30th, 2007 at 10:05 am

Again, I’m not quitting it, I’m simply asking what problem it solves for me? Sound like it’s for socializing. I don’t want to socialize in that manner.

I’m trying really, really hard to understand why I need Facebook.

Tony Colan

November 30th, 2007 at 2:11 pm

To me Facebook is a way to command influence/build audience or traffic to my brand that is not dependent on Google. Social media in general that drives eyeballs to me or others that has nothing to do with Google is a great thing and provides internet marketers with a way to build influence and traffic that does not depend on Google.

Lincoln

November 30th, 2007 at 7:58 pm

I’m currently trying an experiment to see if Facebook can send me any traffic by poking the hell out of everyone on my friend’s friend lists. :-) I’m also giving the app Blogging Friends since i heard it might be a good RSS promotion tool.

And yeah, I’m occasionally scoping for hot chicks too, but only for the purpose of finding a developing a loving and mature relationship with a wonderful woman.

:-D

Leather Sectionals

November 30th, 2007 at 11:55 pm

Jim i thought i was the only one who thought Facebook was overrated and a bit useless for me. You are so right this is simply not the way i want to socialize; i am at a stage in my life where i have a lot of things sorted out including who i want to hang out with and who i spend the time of day with. Facebook is so not for me, except if i want to get in touch with someone particularly, like if i was wondering whatever happened to so and so from school etc.

Jason Green

December 2nd, 2007 at 7:34 am

I don’t use facebook for networking in my business at all.

Just for keeping in touch with friends - but even then I don’t use it that much.

Marc

December 2nd, 2007 at 8:29 pm

Sounds like you didn’t buy my answer, but you’re still in the dark. There isn’t any figuring out to it. It’s like music. If you’re paining over trying to figure it out then you’ve really missed the point haven’t you. I don’t think there is much help for you. It’s just not for you.