Facebook | Internet Marketing Blog

Facebook responds to backlash. But that's not a good privacy approach.

Facebook has a long battered history with its customers. Users are so notoriously uppity about any minor change to Facebook's interface or settings that there's a satiric group on the site called I AUTOMATICALLY HATE THE NEW FACEBOOK HOME PAGE.

But Mark Zuckerberg's social network stepped in it when it launched instant personalization last month. The privacy settings that were unwieldy, confusing and obtuse. It's gotten so bad that the company's CEO penned an op-ed in the Washington Post to address the issue.

Starting tomorrow, new "drastically simplified" privacy controls will be available. But privacy problems at Facebook are likely to continue. That's because Facebook views privacy as a moving target defined by its bottom line rather than its commitment to users.

by Meghan Keane 25 May 2010 23:06pm 1 comment

Foursquare's argument for going it alone

Rumors of Foursquare's acquisition may be greatly exaggerated. Speaking in New York on Monday at Startup 2010, Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley was busy making the case for his company staying independent.

Will the company sell in the near future? It's unclear. But to hear Crowley tell it, Foursquare doesn't particularly need a large organization to keep it afloat. In fact, he seems to think Foursquare would be better off not selling.

by Meghan Keane 20 May 2010 16:52pm 1 comment

Success doesn't require being likeable, but it helps

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg may be the most successful 26 year-old technology entrepreneur in the world right now, but he sure isn't making it look easy. His company finds itself being attacked for its position on user privacy, and the attacks have turned personal.

While Zuckerberg's character has been called into question before, the increased scrutiny on Facebook seems to be producing a steady stream of facts that don't show Zuckerberg in the best light.

by Patricio Robles 19 May 2010 09:11am 6 comments

Is Facebook's privacy approach bringing a user exodus?

Since its inception, Facebook's approach to privacy has drawn ire from users. But those complaints don't often effect the sites popularity, which has skyrocketed since its debut as Harvard's online yearbook.

However, Facebook's latest expansion may actually have business repurcussions. Why? Because the site's growth has slowed. Perhaps Facebook is starting to hit a saturation point online, but if the various groups trying to get people off Facebook find success, Facebook could be in trouble.

by Meghan Keane 14 May 2010 21:04pm 6 comments

The top seven Facebook tools for publishers

Facebook may increasingly be on the receiving end of criticism related to its stance on privacy, but the world's largest social network is still one of the top places to reach consumers online.

With more than 400m registered users globally, Facebook is the world's largest social network, and publishers looking to stay connected with their users and acquire new users have plenty of Facebook tools at their disposal to do just that. Here are seven of them.

by Patricio Robles 14 May 2010 10:46am 3 comments

2010 could be the year of the display ad

Has online advertising rebounded from the recession? If not, things are definitely picking up. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau and comScore, digital advertising is performing better than last year. What's more? Display advertising is starting strong. The sector hit record revenues in the first quarter of 2010.

Which leaves a question: Have display advertising's woes been unfairly tied to the recession?

by Meghan Keane 13 May 2010 23:07pm 3 comments

Revealed: the secret to social media marketing success

When JetBlue wanted to celebrate its 10th anniversary, it decided to sell a limited number of tickets for $10. That's a tall order, so for help with the difficult task of convincing consumers to buy $10 airline tickets, it turned to TBG, a London-based digital agency that specializes in Facebook marketing.

The result: JetBlue saw a "massive" response from TBG's Facebook ad buy, revealing the secret of social media success.

That secret: giving away stuff for free or at a significant discount is a great way to 'engage' consumers on social networks.

by Patricio Robles 13 May 2010 10:10am 32 comments

Print subscription sales and news feed ads are coming to Facebook

On Facebook, fans and likes are all well and good. But this summer, the social network will have a new feature that may actually help publishers get sales. Synapse, a Time Inc division that sells subscriptions for various publishers, is working with e-commerce solutions company Alvenda to allow Facebook users to purchase magazines directly from their news feeds.

That is sure to get publishers excited. And though news feed purchases actually have more potential for other sectors on Facebook, there is something interesting about this impending feature — the ads. And the fact that Facebook isn't taking a cut of the profits.

by Meghan Keane 13 May 2010 00:27am 1 comment

Nine tips for protecting your privacy online

Facebook's recent 'instant personalization' has the blogosphere buzzing, and the privacy implications haven't gone unnoticed. Some believe that privacy is effectively dead online, and that individuals simply need to "get over it."

But is that really the case? Is privacy dead? For those of us who are active online, maintaining privacy can be a difficult task, but it's not impossible.

by Patricio Robles 12 May 2010 09:01am 0 comments

Facebook to Zynga: we're not in Farmville any more

Facebook has sat by and watched as prominent application developers have made millions upon millions of dollars on its platform, primarily through virtual currency. Not surprisingly, Facebook wants a piece of the action and is moving to take a piece of the action.

But that may not be so easy if the results of early deal making efforts are any indication. Application developer Zynga, which operates some of the most popular social gaming apps on Facebook, including Farmville and Mafia Wars, may leave Facebook and set up its own gaming social network after negotiations with Facebook over the use of Facebook's upcoming universal payments and credits system reportedly fell apart.

by Patricio Robles 10 May 2010 15:45pm 5 comments