In part one in our series of using Facebook for Business, we covered the basics behind building a Business Fan Page and some best practices for customizing, promoting and engaging users on Facebook. In this second part, Understanding Facebook Connect, we'll explore some new ways to extend your own web site, product or service to the Facebook platform and review some innovative ways companies are using Facebook Connect to make their companies more "social."
Facebook Connect (at its heart) is the answer to an all too common problem with social networks - too many accounts to manage and too many sign ons. If you think of Facebook as the main hub where people maintain their social profile, then Facebook Connect is a direct pipeline into that profile data, and can provide a single login to manage services on multiple social networks or web sites.
A perfect example is Digg.com.
Digg is a social news site where people can vote up or down (a process called "digging") news stories of the day. It used to be that in order to submit stories for votes you would need an account. With Facebook Connect, my account on Facebook allows me to sign on to Digg and interact just as if I had registered my own digg account.
The benefit for the user is obvious -- one less sign on to manage. However, digg receives benefit as well.
Whenever I interact with content on digg, that interaction is recorded back on my Facebook News Feed for all of my friends to see. Remember the example of the interaction that happens on Facebook Business Pages? Its the same thing here.
Digg extends its user base beyond its borders and promotes content from the site on Facebook directly. This is a win/win for both Facebook and Digg.
Facebook Connect works on many popular sites already, and the list grows every day. What's more, Facebook Connect is easy to integrate into your own web site.
But Facebook Connect isn't limited to just social networking sites.
Yesterday, I purchased a new game for my iPhone called Star Defense. The game itself is a variation of a very popular type of Flash based internet game called Tower Defense. But what makes Star Defense so special is its integration with Facebook, using Facebook Connect.
If I want to share my accomplishments from the game, or even challenge my Facebook friends to beat my high score, I can do that all from the portability of my mobile phone. It is all part of a new phenomenon called "social gaming" that has become possible through the use of this Facebook Connect technology. Now, friends from all over the world can play a game with me that I initiated on my cell phone. The game also will post high scores and in game feats called "achievements" to Twitter as well.
This new technology is great for businesses which want to make their sites more social, and who want to tap into Facebook's user base of over 200 million people.
Here are some other examples of companies using Facebook Connect to check out:
Howcast
CNN "The Forum"
I hope this post has been helpful in understanding the basics behind Facebook Connect. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have questions or examples of your own Facebook Connect implementations!
William brings 10 years of interactive marketing experience to Off Madison Ave and serves as the agency’s Search Marketing Manager. In addition to his responsibilities managing pay-per-click and search engine optimization for clients, William also works with clients to develop innovative ways of using Facebook for marketing.
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