Facebook: Just Tell Users What’s In It for Them - houckyouseve

Facebook held a big media pow-wow today. Faced with a vocal user backlash, intense criticism from privacy protagonism groups , and scrutiny from the United States government US Senate, Facebook saw the wrongdoing of its ways and introduced 3 significant changes to simplify its privacy controls.

Intertwined in the privacy soap Opera sparked by Facebook are 2 fundamental marketing lessons that all businesses can pick up from. A) Users like to deliver choices, and B) you deal out the sizzle, non the bacon.

Facebook messed up happening both of those issues. First, information technology has an proven history of simply launching new features, and automatically opting all users in. The first users are aware of changes to the Facebook port or the way Facebook shares their information is when they are experiencing the consequences of those changes. Users don't like to beryllium blindsided like that, which leads to a backlash.

On the second issue, Facebook never genuinely sold the Sir Francis Bacon or the sizzle. In other dustup, Facebook made changes to the way information is shared because it benefited Facebook, and with little OR no regard for what value that provides to Facebook's 400 million advantageous users.

But, recent surveys show that Facebook's Zuckerberg may be onto something. Perhaps seclusion is dead. Certainly, the boundaries that define seclusion are prejudiced and open to interpretation, and there are some–many, in fact–users WHO simply don't value privateness almost as very much like privacy advocacy groups alike the EFF might equivalent to think.

Back pertinent, though–sell the sizzle. Have you always seen a Budweiser commercial proclaiming the virtues of a beer gut OR katzenjammer? No, if you tope Budweiser you will have fun 24/7 and be enclosed aside girls in bikinis.

Here is the real secret: if you sell the sizzle well, you can follow honest about the negative consequences and customers will take the sizzle with the jeopardy. Sticking with the Baron Verulam doctrine of analogy, nigh populate are aware that bacon is high in fat and cholesterol, and in the main not goody-goody for you–but nobody cares because they love the taste of Sir Francis Bacon. Plain and perfoliate.

If you bought a new sports car, and the salesman told you that you should never exceed 60mph, and that for all hour you drove chisel over 60mph you would lose an hour of warranty coverage, close to would heed the dissuasive, and some would accept that craft and floor information technology. If a doctor told you that every time you had sex you would die one day earlier, how many days of your life would you embody willing to trade in?

OK. Let's bring this merchandising lesson back to Facebook. Facebook needs to let users know what's in it for them. Don't explain what the feature does OR how it whole kit. Users simply want to know "how will opting in and sharing my data profit me?" If you give me a strong enough benefit to make IT worth my spell, and sell me on why using your new feature or service is a profits-win, and not just a win for Facebook, I will gladly opt in and share my data.

Sometimes you'Re too close set to the problem and you need someone from the outside to help with messaging. A lesson to wholly businesses–you know your features and services are cool…to you. Let your marketing audience have sex what's in it for them.

So, Facebook–bring the sizzle.

I'll exist glad to forward my résumé and then you can engage my services, just you should know I don't make twopenny-halfpenny and I opt to work from home. Nothing says productiveness like tapping off at the keyboard at 6am in your pajamas with a fresh cupful of coffee patc rocking some Staind or Blue October. Only–let's keep that just 'tween United States. Don't proceed sharing that information with the stay of the Web or anything, ok?

You can follow Tony on his Facebook page , OR contact him by netmail at tony_bradley@pcworld.com . He likewise tweets arsenic @Tony_BradleyPCW .