The Secret to Facebook

When I wrote our social media manifesto, I announced that Blend wouldn’t have a strong presence on Facebook until I’d found a creative and engaging way to do it. Today, I’m proud to share my answer to the secret of Facebook with you: conversations.

Without question, almost every company on the planet treats Facebook like a massive low-cost television ad. Since they can reach 300 million potential eyeballs, they push their message to anyone that will listen in hopes of a .001% success. The problem with doing that is that pretty soon Facebook’s users begin to act like TV viewers and they jump for TiVo and DVR’s in the form of ignores and deletes at every chance they get. Nobody wants to install your application, become your fan, or accept your friend request so that you can tell them things they don’t want to hear.

The secret to Facebook is not to push things to people. It’s to start conversations and let the people who want to participate share things with one another.

Today, we’re launching a new experiment through Blend called Ideaspark. Each month, we’re going to ignite a conversation about something entirely through Facebook and let anyone who would like to share their ideas about how they might inspire improvement of the topic at hand. For thirty days, we’ll shine the spotlight on a new idea, debate, or theory and open up the conversation to as many of those 300 million people (or as few) that want to share their thoughts.

Our first conversation begins today.

To join in, just share your thoughts on the question below.

How would YOU make Facebook better?

Get Updates From Ideaspark

• By Patrick Widen

• 

Get E-Mail Updates:

About The Author

Patrick Widen

Patrick began his career in design at the age of twelve, later starting his design firm, Foozoo Design, while still a senior in high school. In the rebellious years of his youth, he virtually ignored his high school curriculum in favor of pursuing his own academic career in marketing, psychology, and design. 400 books, three companies, and a cocktail of interesting experiences later he opened the doors of Blend to help companies dive into design and create products, services, and experiences that make people smile. When he's not working, Patrick is also student at Vanderbilt where he is exploring the connections between neuroscience, design, marketing, and economics. It is his hope that through these connections he will soon begin to find the answers to the questions that he believes will change the world for the better and make each and every inch of it a better place for the people that live there.