Like is the New Link: Why Facebook's Graph Search is a Game Changer
Dave Kerpen
Serial Entrepreneur, NY Times Best-Selling Author, Global Keynote Speaker, Investor, Writer for INC.com
Two years ago, I wrote Likeable Social Media in that "Like is the new link." Facebook, I argued, was reorganizing the Internet around likes. Whereas Google had previously organized the web around links and information, Facebook was adding a social layer to the web. I envisioned a world in which the like became more important than the link.
Today, thanks to over one billion users and its new Graph search, that world has arrived. Sure, graph search is poorly named. (It sounds like it was named by engineering nerds, not my marketers from one of the world's largest brands.) More important, graph search's current functionality is currently in beta and will only work in certain use cases, and privacy issues will surely need to be sorted out. It's just the beginning.
But imagine the potential - not as marketer, but as a consumer. You wake up with a toothache and you need a new dentist. Would you rather find him using random coupons from Valpak, using a Google search to find a digitally savvy but also-random dentist, or using Facebook search to find a dentist your own friends like and trust?
If you're looking for a realtor to help buy or sell your house, would you rather check the yellow pages, or find a realtor your Facebook friends or their friends like and trust?
If you're looking for a stroller for your new toddler, would you rather shop from a catalog or from mom friends on Facebook? Trying a new healthy cereal - would you rather respond to the best TV commercial or see what your friends already like? Shopping for a car - would you find a dealer from a radio ad, or one your friends who have recently bought cars "liked" on Facebook?
We know that 92% of consumers trust word of mouth recommendations, far more than any form of advertising. But while recommendations have been around for years, on sites like Amazon and Yelp and Trip Advisor - now, those recommendations are coming on Facebook - from your friends that you know and trust. For years, marketers and business people have struggled with the value of their Facebook likes. They've asked questions about what it all means, and how important it is to generate likes rather than clicks or links or Google Search rank. Beginning today, those questions will be answered.
Sure, a like is not nearly as valuable as a review, and a like from a close friend or family member is a lot more valuable than a like from that guy you went to high school with and haven't heard from since. But a like from someone you know is an implicit endorsement of sorts, more valuable to marketers than an advertisement without social proof. Soon enough, people will be saying, Like is the new link.
Dave Kerpen is the founder and CEO of Likeable Local. He is also the co-founder and Chairman of Likeable Media, and the New York Times-bestselling author of Likeable Social Media and Likeable Business, and the new collection, Likeable Leadership. To read more from Dave on LinkedIn, please click the FOLLOW button above or below.
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Hate digital companies who promise clients that they will increase the like factor when nothing in the brand has changed ! Nobody likes forced engagement . Request from friends to like their cause is also superficial !
Really? Are you kidding? @[Jeff M. - great answer. @[Liyana-Fatina A. - great explanation. If someone I know sends me something ... a joke, a picture of their new born baby that looks like the Wolfman ... you are more than likely going to mark it with a "like" because that's the polite think to do. It often just means "thanks for including something you thought was worthy of posting." What if somebody is writing an essay on Hittler and comments they are looking for pictures of Hitler mesmerizing crowds. So some neo-Nazi sends him ten rare photos. You appreciate it and send him a thumbs-up "Like" as a thank you. And now all of a sudden you are a Hitler loving neo-Nazi!!! When you take time to establish a link to someone's site the spider follows the link and associates you to that content. If you don't believe that, read how quickly they were able to trace those two radical Islamist nut-jobs in Boston. Likes are remind me of out-of-context quotes. You don't have enough information. I wish Facebook had a thumbs down option or maybe even some other finger option. I even know people who follow and "like" everything they post just to keep up on their gossip ... got a value proposition for me there, Dave? Take this response to you, for instance. It's much more difficult to criticize someone's idea in writing. Quite frankly Dave, "I told you so!" articles shouldn't be written until dessert is over. Facebook is in the process of being shredded by Google+ ... so this whole theory of yours may be a mute point anyway. Professional Regards, Murray Johnston
Creative consultant; Hindi/English Content Developer
11 年Your article is a perfect vista to Facebook's farsighted vision while creating the 'Graph Search'. It is simple human psychology to consider opinion of reliable peers (friends, family, colleagues etc) before finalizing any independent decision related to doing something where one doesn't possess a first hand experience.Though it is true that search engines like Google or Bing provide reliable logistics but, unfortunately these don't prompt decision making... that's where Graph Search would make a difference. You search for a dealer and before you finally choose to deal with him you turn around to look for 'likes' from peers to virtually endorse your decision. Couple of years from now, the 'likes' database would be a strong force to influence branding of products!