Has Facebook just made it easier for marketers to book face time?
The social network’s latest innovation, to organize all of our vast networks of friends into more management “Smart Lists,” basically does the same kind of segmenting many marketers specialize in when they break large groups of consumers into more targetable categories, by demographics, purchase behaviors, addresses, etc.
Similarly, Facebook will use the colleges, workplaces and geographic locations that we users share on the site to sort our “friends” into groups, according to the Associated Press.
The strategy is designed to help Facebook users manage communications among their sometime burdensome networks.
Many Facebook users count hundreds if not thousands friends, after all, but in reality most of these friends are mere acquaintances, not to mention family members and work associates. One might not necessarily want to share the details of her Vegas vacation with all of them.
Likewise, these same Smart Lists could help marketers manage their communications on Facebook, as well. One of the challenges for brands trying to get traction in the social sphere is identifying and building a relationship with those users who would be considered strong word-of-mouth advocates. But word of mouth is really only effective when it comes from someone we know intimately, not a vague acquaintance who repeatedly posts photos of his cats.
That is unless the Smart List sorts by cats and dogs, too. Are you listening, Purina?
