Facebook, just another passing phase like mobile phones and the interweb.

(Alternate title: How Peter Madden got pnwed by his own sister and tries to rationalize it)


One of the things I've come to realize now that we're beginning a new year is that my Linkedin profile has been gathering dust while my Facebook profile is rockin' like a party that's never going to end. And I'm just talking about the professional relationship end of things. Linkedin is supposed to be the networking tool of professionals but I've established and kept more contacts in the past 4 months than LinkedIn has for the past 3 years.



I had noticed a shift in usage for Facebook about 8 months ago. Yes, being a marketer, I had set up a My Space page, a Facebook page, a Friendster page, a Classmates.com entry, a blog, a Flickr account – ALL that good stuff about 2 years ago. Most activity was quiet. My LinkedIn had a nice looking list of contacts but everything else was fairly dead. It only reinforced my preconceived notions particularly about My Space and Facebook. It was for high-schoolers, college students and musicians. Then last year, the flood gates opened. Now it seems that everyone has a Facebook page. I (among many other marketers) think it's grand. But a few others are annoyed.

I know that being in the advertising industry we hear buzzwords BEFORE they become buzzwords and by the time they are officially deemed buzzwords we want to strangle ourselves (or better yet, the people that keep saying them). But that doesn't mean that we should throw out the baby with the bath water. I think it's a beautiful thing that mini communities are spawning all over on Facebook. These communities are bound by commonalities that make it easier for brands to target, and yes, make communication to them relevant. I also like that Facebook is still very much controlled by the user and for the most part, it's still invite only. That's good. If you release all control then you basically have a MySpace page. And to me, there's a HUGE difference between MySpace and Facebook.

So while some critics from Ad Age are calling for an end to the Facebook love affair (ahem Phil Johnson and Peter Madden, yes I'm throwing you under the bus) I say they've got it wrong. They're behind the curve. They're cynical. They hate buzzwords, sacred cows and the low-carb diet and any other trend that goes beyond critical mass.

Facebook is too crowded, you say? Marketers should look somewhere else, you say? Hmmm... that's like saying too many people are watching the Super Bowl and erego it's not cool to advertise there anymore.

Get real.