Facebook Open Graph Launch
Posted: Tuesday 24 January, 2012
Will Davis
Although Facebook first announced the integration of its Open Graph with Timeline in September 2011, it was only last week that a host of applications were announced that would integrate with the social network. With so many new applications launched, including eBay, Ticketmaster and TripAdvisor, the question is whether these new apps will prove more of a benefit or a hindrance to Facebook users.
At first glance the assumption is that the new updates are likely to prove a success. With new applications across a number of different sectors, from travel and food through to retail and entertainment, it seems there’s an app available for everyone and as such they’re likely to thrive on the network.
However, will such integration prove too much for Facebook users? Clearly Facebook is looking to make the process of sharing as simple as possible, but will users really be prepared to document as many of their online activities as possible? We’ve already seen applications for sharing music listened and tv shows watched (Spotify and Hulu) prove a success, but is there as much interest in sharing items bought on eBay, food eaten through Foodily or cars viewed on Autotrader?
My assumption is that these new updates will prove too great an intrusion to the average user. While some users may be more than happy to share many of the smallest details of their online activities, the majority of these applications appear to be more of a benefit to marketers rather than the user. Facebook integration allows these developers to not only understand which products and features are proving popular, but also allows the developer to entice as many potential new customers and users as possible. Spotify is a great example of this, with the music streaming service announcing a 25% increase of paying customers within two months of its integration with Facebook, with non-paying sign ups assumed to be much higher.
Integrating so many different applications is more likely to appear as spam rather than a user attempting to share with their friends. Facebook may be looking to become the leading hub for sharing and interacting with other internet users, but whilst incorporation of these applications isn’t currently a necessity, it’s hard to imagine a large number of users jumping at the opportunity to integrate these apps.
To find out more, take a look at our Facebook Changes Social Media Intelligence report.
