I run a podcast called Facebook AnswerMan.
I'm also co-authoring the book Facebook All-In-One for Dummies.
But that doesn't mean I know everything about Facebook.
Not even close.
Facebook changes so often that it's hard to keep up with the trends & changes without remaining glued to your computer monitor.
I used to spend literally 15+ hours a day online -- and most of that time on Facebook, just so I could keep up with changes & be the first to "break" news.
But that basically turned me into a miserable zombie!
Today I still spend too much time on Facebook -- but nowhere near what I used to.
In spending less time "keeping up" with things, I've discovered a few things that remain the same no matter what changes Facebook makes.
6 Things I Know For Sure About Facebook
These are things that will always be true about Facebook... no matter what.
- People Matter
- People Love Cats
- People Hate Spammers
- People Will Always Spam
- Facebook Will Always Break Things
- You'll Never Leave Facebook
1. People Matter
The original point of Facebook was to help you connect with people you're connected to offline.
At some point during the last several years, marketers messed this up by using Facebook to market -- which confused the definition of a "friend", among other things.
But at the core of Facebook's success are people -- and the connections those people make.
Facebook exists to make the world more open and connected, and not just to build a company. We expect everyone at Facebook to focus every day on how to build real value for the world in everything they do.
~ Mark Zuckerberg
Many of you reading this blog are online marketers like myself. As marketers we often forget that sites like Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, etc. were built for users, not businesses.
So every change Facebook makes will primarily have the user in mind -- not your business.
2. People Love Cats
What is it about cat memes & cat videos on social networks that makes people get so giddy?
And it's not just cat memes -- it's memes in general.
The truth is, humor & the ability to share funny stuff is a huge part of what has made social networks so successful.
And Facebook is no exception to this.
On any given day, I'm betting you have at least a dozen friends share some silly meme or cat video that has no bearing on your life.
But you know what?
We all watch the video anyway! Just like you'll watch this video below (if you have kids cover their ears)
3. People Hate Spammers
No one likes spam -- the unwanted marketing messages or the meat!
Well some people do like the meat, apparently -- I heard it's wildly popular in Hawaii... who knew?!
Originally spam was unwanted marketing mail in our physical mailboxes.
Today spam is any unwanted email in our inbox or posts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.
Facebook users are quick to spot a spammer these days -- and they'll almost immediately flag content or report their page/profile if they think the stuff they're sharing is spammy.
So spammers have no place on Facebook...
Yet they will always be there.
4. People Will Always Spam
No matter how hard we try to report & ban spammers, they will likely always be on Facebook.
People just can't help themselves.
Just like the slimy used car salesman can't help but try to sell you junk.
These spammers find a new affiliate product or new business opportunity and they just HAVE to spew their links out 2799 times per day.
Because after all... that's "marketing", right?
Well no, actually it's not.
If you are a spammer -- KNOCK IT OFF! If you are annoyed by spammers -- just get used to it.
And learn how to hit the report & "Hide" button.
5. Facebook Will Always Break Things
Facebook's motto when it comes to development is "Always Be Shipping".
That means their engineers & product developers are constantly making & adding changes to the site.
This is great in many ways -- but sucks in others.
It's great because the platform is always rolling out new features -- and improving the user experience.
This is essential because if Facebook never changes & improves, users will get bored & move on to other sites.
Just think if Facebook still looked like it did in 2004:
Sure there are no ads -- but there's also no news feed, no groups, no interest lists, no events, no a lot of things!
But now, according to the latest numbers, Facebook has over 1.1 BILLION users.
Imagine how hard it is to make changes & avoid glitches with that many users.
My advice is to embrace the change -- and to embrace the fact that sometimes things just won't work on Facebook. But they'll get fixed soon.
In fact, when I notice something isn't working right, I kinda get excited... it might mean a new feature is coming out soon!
6. You Will Never Leave Facebook
I'm sure you've seen some of your friends make this claim:
I'm deleting my Facebook account because I'm so sick of all the changes!
Then a few weeks later that same person is once again Liking a post of yours.
Facebook is an addiction that we can't & won't stop.
It's become a part of our DNA as a society -- especially in the US.
For example, I check Facebook before I check the news, my email or voice messages.
It's my hub of communication & I'll never leave it.
Sure, you may try to replace Facebook with Google+ or Twitter -- but like me you'll find that the personal connections just aren't there.
So you can connect with other like-minded people at those sites -- but with no real, personal connections, most of us slowly drift away & back to Facebook.
I've almost completely stopped using Google+ these days -- even though I think its features kick ass!
My reasoning goes back to my first point -- People Matter.
To me it seems like most the non-Facebook social media sites are less about what your kid scored on his last spelling test & more about business.
Personally, I use social sites to get enjoyment & to connect personally with people I care about.
Sure business has come into it -- but the reality is that stuff won't last or excite most of us very long.
So stop saying you're gonna delete your Facebook account!
We know you won't do it!!!
What's The Point?
I know typically you're used to me writing posts about techniques & tactics on how to post better content on Facebook.
We'll get back to that on my next blog post.
But today I just wanted to share some editorial comments on what I know about Facebook.
So thanks for listening!
Now back to our regularly scheduled program...
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