If Facebook were a country, it would be the planet’s third largest with 900 million people. But unlike any other nation, it tracks its citizens with a depth unlike any other. Sure, the actual country you live in knows when you were born and when you got married, it knows where you live and the car you drive – but Facebook knows so much more.
Facebook have the details of which movie you saw on the weekend and what you thought of it, it knows who you lunched with yesterday and what you ate, Facebook even has photos from your last vacation.
Like it or not, Mark Zuckerberg knows EVERYTHING about you.
This whole thing sounds sinister but this data collection monster has been used for good so far. In April 2015, Facebook conducted a social experiment using influence to try and increase the number of organ donors. Users could signal they were donors simply by clicking a box and that sent a message to their friends newsfeeds – in under 3 weeks the needle moved with registrations increasing by 23% in the US alone.
On November 13, the targeted attacks on Paris shocked the world. These heinous acts took 130 lives and sent families all over the globe into panic fearing the worst for their loved ones. Facebook leapt to action and deployed a ‘safety check’ feature allowing residents and tourists in Paris to quickly inform family as to their whereabouts and safety. It was simple, brilliant and data at its best.
Data is the new currency. Soon it will be the most valuable of commodities. The keeper of the data will be able to communicate with and move their audience in unprecedented ways. It will be used for good and for evil and it will be a vital component of success.
How prepared are you? Is your online listener club rich with insights or under done? Is it your engine for moving small groups of highly interested people or is it just a vestibule for promotions that sales insist we do but aren’t good enough for on air?
Dig deep into your audience, super serve those who are willing to share information and depth beyond their email address and get your brand truly ready for the next digital revolution.