In the midst of people upset over Facebook’s sudden interface changes and others saying these people just can’t deal with change, I have come up with four methods Facebook could have used (and should use in the future) to improve its relationships with its audiences.
1. Announce changes in advance – if I remember correctly, Twitter announced changes to its interface in advance of rolling out the new interface. They also transitioned groups of users instead of all users at once. Facebook could have easily plugged in an overview of its coming changes a week ago to give people time to look it over and get used to the coming changes. Surprise isn’t always a good thing.
2. Provide users the option to use the native interface – again I must use Twitter as the example. While Twitter did eventually phase out the ability to use the native interface, they gave users about a year to get used to the new interface with the capability to switch back and forth.
3. Provide users the ability to turn off the scroll bar – maybe I’m just missing this feature, but I think if Facebook provided users the ability to turn off the scroll bar, people would appreciate the flexibility to customize their Facebook experience.
4. Be original – I think the biggest issue Facebook needs to address is that it is trying to provide users an experience just like using Google+. The problem with this is that we already have a Google+. Rather than trying to differentiate its brand from Google’s platform and sending a message that people should use both platforms, Facebook is positioning itself as competition to Google+. I think this is a mistake. I don’t think the two platforms are in competition at this point. There are many people not yet ready to add a new social media to the mix and they are sticking with Facebook because that’s where they are comfortable and that’s where their friends are. Also, did Facebook not read the messages that some find Google+ and its circles confusing? This alone leads me to not understand Facebook’s actions. I have been curious – do any of the social platforms use focus groups for research? Regardless, now would be the time for Facebook to show itself as different from Google+, not more of the same. And unfortunately, the changes have made many people uncomfortable with Facebook, giving them more of a reason to switch platforms.
While I’m at it, I must admit, Google+has its own problem – it has no identity yet. Twitter and Facebook have distinct characteristics, both in how they are used and why people use them. For me, I use Twitter for more of a professional profile and Facebook for more of an intimate profile. My problem with Google+ is though I love all its features, I don’t really identify with it yet. I’m not sure what to say on there. I think part of the problem is that I don’t know enough people on Google+ yet, and the people who are in my circles are not yet posting. Although I’m pretty good at talking to myself, I have to say it’s not much fun. I mean, who wants to go to the club and be the only one dancing?
While I’m at it, I have to say a little something about the folks on Google+ who seem to emote a sense of superiority over Facebook users who “don’t understand circles.” I’m pretty sure the point of social media is to be inclusive, not exclusive. Am I wrong – does Google+ have an identity, one that most people want to avoid?
What do you think about Facebook’s changes? What are your thoughts on Google+?
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