Leveraging the Facebook API

Leveraging the FaceBook API

HISTORY/BACKGROUND

facebook was initially for college students

very little activity for people outside of formal networks (work, geographic region, school/college)

myspace is growing much faster than facebook

an API was released to the public for people to start developing it

you can only see people from within your network


STAGES OF GROWTH TO CONSIDER WHEN BUILDING AN APP

• can have people interact across networks with the apps
• HUGE increase in adoption of apps
• DO NOT however, rely on this happening (huge adoption) - there are MANY apps out there

3 Causes for Increased Adoption of Facebook Apps

• people tell other people about the apps
• unlimited invites (for people to use the app you have created)
• novelty
• knowledge

CAVEAT: hard to make apps adoptable/viral because there are SO many


APP FUNCTIONALITY
apps utilize these three things:

• NEWS FEED (publishes to it)
• PROFILE (appears in it)
• INVITES (you can invite your friends to use it)
  
  

EXAMPLE

Vampire vs. Ninja App: the virality of the app was BUILT IN to the app (key success indicator)
*when you 'bite' someone, for the person to see what it is about they HAVE to install the app

CREATING GROUPS

founding a group can be tricky because they are easy to create, but for people to return, there's not much to return to (as of now)

• information on FaceBook can be VERY rich - it tracks relationships between a user and all their friends
  
  

HERE ARE SOME KEY APPS

CAUSES app:
*it allows you to start a cause
*you can search a db to support an org
*essentially a fundraising tool
*you can invite your friendS
*you can see who/how much people donated
CAVEATS
no way for the org itself to interact with who donated or know how much they donated

CHANGE.ORG app
*recruit
*donate
*eActions
*create a forum
*capture email addresses
*important note: you can email all the people through the app you create (this is true for ALL apps)

DEVELOPING AN APP

development timeline is not very long, though you should consider:

• how will you distribute it?
• can you make it as intrinsically viral as possible (make it easy for friends to tell friends about it)?
• chances of your app getting published in the feed are dependent on:
  • how many people adding the app on your network
  • your friends already have the app
  • YOU have the app
    
    

CRITICISMS

• everyone is on social networking sites so someone (from your org) needs to be on the social app/site ALL the time (to keep the content fresh)
• class distinctions are [1] on facebook
• datamining by corporations is also a large factor - particluarly with myspace

TIPS

• build personal relationships with members to the org
• build it into your current eadvocacy campaigns

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