Months ago I wrote an article about the potential anti-social nature of social media. Weeks prior, I wrote about social media privacy issues and behind the scenes information gathering unbeknownst to you on applications like Facebook. Now Facebook wants to charge you to send a message.
We are told that the fee based messaging system is a sort of beta test and this will in no way charge you to send a message. If you have sent a message to anyone on Facebook not currently in your “friends” list, you’ve noticed that a fly-out menu appears when you go to send your message. This menu you informs you of a $1.00 charge to send a message to the intended recipients inbox. The other, less efficient option is to send the message to this vague and seldom ever used “other” folder; as if it’s some folder buried in the bowels of Internet oblivion no one knows about nor do they even know how to find. In other words, your message will not get read with any expediency if at all unless you pay. Several other online email applications are free. You're not currently charged to send a message and be forced to decide how fast it gets there or if you should cross your fingers and hope that it gets read at all.
Thus far, the media giant has held true to it’s promise by not charging you for using Facebook. What Facebook is doing is redefining what the term “using” means. Should messaging outside a friend list ever be defined as “using” they may be in trouble. But isn’t the very presence of the capability that is an integral part of the system for which the application is built suggest “using.” Who knows? That’s something for the lawyers to worry about. Yet, all of this is trumped by the “we can change our minds anytime, anywhere, in any universe with or without notice should you wish to signup” clause (paraphrased and flourished of course). Either way you’re doomed to live with it should you wish to continue.
If you revisit my previous posts, I postulate that such a thing was destined to happen. I briefly wrote about how businesses and individuals are abandoning those long planned and painstakingly designed web pages for social media applications. I also imply that such a move is not only risky but seemingly trendy. While it can be argued that more companies are having greater success within social media applications, I continue to advocate a measure of business agility by maintaining other methodologies of marketing and promoting oneself. It’s simply too risky to box oneself in on a technology you do not own nor have any control over. While you’re counting pennies now and considering all your savings by using social media, you may eventually find that it may not be as frugal a move as it once was.
I only suggest a measure of caution. I continue to advocate a strong social media presence. Like it or not, that is where all the people are. They’re not as packaged and pre-conditioned as you would like to make them flock to your products and services as you would like; that’s your job. Yet, they are there and will continue to be there as Facebook continues to create a technological, social and psychological dependency. Just think that before you had Facebook you actually talked to people, you went to see them, you visited their homes and businesses. You got out to see what your customers and friends were doing and what they needed. The world got along just fine, though arguably maybe not as efficiently; efficiency not being a constant variable from which to base a long term business plan as it pertains to social media use.
Personally, I like those websites that have strong social media integration; links and feeds. Essentially it is as if your entire social media experience never leaves the site. Should you choose to buy something you do it onsite. Should you choose to message your friend you can do that also. If you’d like to comment or review a product, by all means go for it. You can even share your buying experience or site experience with your friend on Facebook and Twitter via a share button. That’s a tall order for a website. That’s also an expensive one. Few have the economies of scale for such integration that Facebook wields at will.
All things being equal, how you promote your business is the one thing you have control over. My suggestion is, is to be careful. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Stay nimble and always manage your risk.
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