by Mimi Jamaleldin on May 14, 2012
“Business Insider” recently published an article highlighting a new feature in Facebook that has the potential to be huge for businesses and brands.
To summarize the article, Facebook is hoping to make its new Timeline layout even more interactive by allowing developers to add in customizable action links to posts that are generated from apps.
For example, when you see a friend check in on Foursquare in your Facebook newsfeed, instead of simply commenting or liking the post- you could interact with the post in a new way. You could save the location so that you can remember to visit the location in the future.
So far this is only going to be occurring on posts that come from apps (Spotify, Socialcam, Foursquare, etc.) – which I think will be interesting and positive for businesses. However, what I find to be exciting is the potential for this to expand and really affect the work that we do with our clients. What if in the future posts that we create or promotions and giveaways that are shared by our fans have the potential to have action links as well (which could lead to say, an e-commerce store or where-to-buy page)?
How do you think the addition of action links will effect businesses and brands using Facebook?
by Katie Hillard on May 1, 2012
According to this article from Mashable, Facebook announced today an organ donor status option for Timeline. This adds to “Facebook’s socially conscious policies including an anti-bullying initiative and a referral system for friends expressing suicidal thoughts.” In an interview with Good Morning America, Mark Zuckerberg explains why this option was added. Zuckerberg has noticed that people weren’t just using social tools to keep in touch with their friends and family on a daily basis, but to also solve social problems. Zuckerberg mentioned that he wants to spread awareness of organ donation to help save the lives of 114,000 people in the U.S. who are waiting for organ transplants. “Many of those people – an average of 18 people per day – will die waiting, because there simply aren’t enough organ donors to meet the need,” Facebook noted in a blog entry. Other motivators for this move include “Zuckerberg’s friendship with Steve Jobs, whose life was extended following a liver transplant.”
Adding your donor status is pretty simple really. First, you go to your timeline. Second, click life event, go to Health & Wellness and choose organ donor. You can add where and when you register as well as your personal story. There is also a link to officially register as an organ donor that will lead you to the correct registry based on your location. As with most elements of the Facebook Timeline, you can decide who sees your organ donor status. You can make it public, or just share this information with close friends or family. Check out the “how to” video from Facebook as well as Zuckerberg’s interview with Good Morning America on Mashable.
At Bolin, we are always happy to see digital programs that help to support a cause. Over the last few years, our digital holiday cards have led our clients and friends to a website page where they can pick a non-profit for Bolin to make a donation to on their behalf. How has your agency or company used social media to help a cause? What other social issues do you believe could be solved by using powerful tools such as Facebook?
