Most people don’t want to ‘search’ for information on the Internet. They prefer to go through a discovery phase, during which they hope to discover interesting or useful facts. Social networking websites like Facebook generally don’t care about this search process and happily leave this task to search engines like Google and Yahoo. Another goal of a searcher is to reach a particular goal or make a purchase decision. This is a digital marketing task that social networking websites like Facebook can do very easily.
For example, imagine that there is a person who wants to buy a new sports car. In most cases, the person would first do a Google search for a list of suitable manufacturers, before selecting a few companies for further investigation. They can then ask their friends for their opinion on their selections. Some friends may recommend a Ferrari, while others may recommend a Porsche. Potential buyers will often ask their friends more about their car choices. Once satisfied, the user can do further research online, before finally deciding which car to buy.
Now, instead of this lengthy process, imagine posting an internet marketing line on your Facebook wall that says something like, “Can anyone recommend a good sports car for me to buy?” You will soon receive responses from both your friends and brand/third party data. In addition, Facebook will collect digital marketing data on “likes” to help you verify which products/brands may be worth considering more. This Internet marketing search feature of Facebook accomplishes two goals: it links a user’s graphical research with their extended research, but more importantly, it prevents users from using Google as well.
Digital marketing brands continue to analyze the value of a Facebook fan and how they should buy vs gain exposure. A useful method to attract brands is to give them points through which they can connect with their customers. Google improved its business model through the relevant intersection of content and intent. If Facebook included consumer questions within its digital marketing graph, it would give brands a better measure of user intent, not only improving their digital marketing ad properties, but also improving their position against Google.
Usually we witness new innovations only when there is competition. Therefore, the growing digital marketing competition between Google and Facebook is expected to lead to more engaging consumer experiences.
