I got rid of Facebook. When will you?

This post might be the biggest OWN I have ever seen on LetsRun.

I like Facebook wrote:

This post might be the biggest OWN I have ever seen on LetsRun.

Welcome to letsrun.com! I know you're disappointed that DyeStat has shut down, but there are other sites available to you. Feel free to browse here, but please don't post again until you reach puberty. Thanks!

Welcome Wagon wrote:

Welcome to letsrun.com! I know you're disappointed that DyeStat has shut down, but there are other sites available to you. Feel free to browse here, but please don't post again until you reach puberty. Thanks!

Touche.

Still, I'm just sayin'

Why would someone say that he is a fan of a soft drink? Or baby food? Maybe I'm different, but I don't have such a close relationship with any consumer product that I feel the need to tell all of my "friends" about it.

You obviously aren't a target consumer of Coca-Cola.

22 million other people feel the need to support the company and subscribe to their status updates.

You might consider "liking" LetsRun though, or possibly the athletics department of your Alma Mater...

stringer bell wrote:

Why would someone say that he is a fan of a soft drink? Or baby food?

Well, think of it this way... You are a working class mom who just had a baby. You find yourself buying Gerber products ALL THE TIME. You find that your kid LOVES the new line of Gerber Double Strained foods despite the fact that he won't eat anything else. You were worried about his health but now he is gaining weight and you are so thankful! You want to alert the other moms that are having similar issues.

Also, Gerber announced that they will periodically issue exclusive coupons to Facebook followers. Yes! You need these. You are interested in what they have to say.

Facebook isn't all about projecting. That is important, but it is also about consuming information from others, including companies that are of interest to you.

Buy a clue wrote:

You obviously aren't a target consumer of Coca-Cola.

22 million other people feel the need to support the company and subscribe to their status updates.

You might consider "liking" LetsRun though, or possibly the athletics department of your Alma Mater...

Bear with me, because I guess I'm a bit of a Luddite.

Why do I need to subscribe to their status updates? If I want to go to Letsrun, I go to Letsrun. If I want to find out what's happening with my college xc team, I e-mail or call the coach.

The idea of supporting a company by clicking a button on a website is kind of funny. I'm just wondering if people really feel such a strong connection to the products they buy.

stringer bell wrote:

Why would someone say that he is a fan of a soft drink?

The same reason that people collect and display Coca-Cola memorabilia. Coca-Cola is one of the world's biggest brands. I don't personally "get" it, but millions and millions of people just LOVE the brand. They are proud to love the brand. It is a lot like Disney. There is a community based around the brand and these people just want to be a part of it.

Some people love Nike, wear the swoosh on their chest proudly. Some people love Moonpies. Some people love Honest Tea or Dogfish Head or Radiohead.

These are all brands for which people show their support every day. It is an odd practice, but it is something that we all do.

Stringer...

I am not "buy a clue," but hopefully my posts have helped you get a better understanding. You undoubtedly do this too, just not with these specific brands (and maybe not on Facebook).

Facebook has been great to post sales and events at my store. I have about 2000 people that have checked it as a like on their page. Its a great way to connect with your regular customers.

stringer bell wrote:

Bear with me, because I guess I'm a bit of a Luddite.

Why do I need to subscribe to their status updates? If I want to go to Letsrun, I go to Letsrun. If I want to find out what's happening with my college xc team, I e-mail or call the coach.

The idea of supporting a company by clicking a button on a website is kind of funny. I'm just wondering if people really feel such a strong connection to the products they buy.

because you care about the brand or product and want to know what they are saying. you cannot just call the CEO of Coca-Cola.

Lets say you love Garmin. You have a Garmin, love it and use it all the time. Lets say Garmin introduces apps on their Facebook page, or makes huge update announcements like The New Garmin XXVI will not only map your runs, but also cool dinner and impregnate your wife!

You might care about hearing those updates. They typically release information on these platforms first, or have Q&As or other interesting information.

Also, they might profile athletes who interest you, or as was mentioned above, offer coupons or other incentives.

Think about something you really like... running or whatever... and then think about how you might like to have inside information about that "thing." It also might be something that defines a part of your life, so you don't mind - might even feel a bit proud about - sharing it with everyone else.

BTW, my user name is not directed at you.

i will say that these past few posts are a side of facebook i never knew existed. i still likely wont join b/c i am near retirement anyway, but i can see some of the value.

Don't worry, I don't take offense.

I can see the coupon thing. I like to save money, and if I get to save money on a product I'm already going to buy, so much the better.

However I've never really been a "first adopter" or someone who has to stay on the cutting edge of product information or releases. If you're into that sort of thing I guess Facebook will have some value.

I like the car I bought a few months ago. If someone asks me if I like it, I'll say yes. But telling all of my Facebook friends that I like a Honda doesn't seem productive. Sure one or two may find some value in it, but it just seems like a lot of useless information flowing around.

mimi wrote:

The only thing I dislike about fb is being tagged in a photo that I would never post myself. So watch out when you pose in front of someone's digital camera.

Otherwise, it's useful to keep up with family members that you wouldn't want to have a phone conversation with, but you get what's going on with them.

This was enough of a 'dislike' for me that I deleted my FB account about 3 years ago.

weingartner

You are a homosex weingartner

facebook amuses me in the sense that many people are constantly on it, but not actively commenting or updating, etc. this, in turn, is perfect for the lurkers, who then have plenty of nonsense to occupy their type. they will complain about how much others update (though they don't update themselves) and yet they will only know this from constantly checking these updates.

from a business and awareness standpoint (trying to drum up support for your cause or group or activity, etc.) the problem i see coming is the sheer volume of information out there. it's basically the idea that if you click like on everything, it stops meaning anything. there are people on facebook with 200, 300, or more likes. i am willing to bet they even might like a lot of these things. but why should i value that someone likes some new obscure band or cancer cause, when they also like walmart and kohl's?

i say kohl's only because when businesses were new to facebook i remember seeing kohl's advertised in the corner. apparently five or something of my friends liked it. that just seemed weird to me. then again, people like to connect with others (alleged idea behind facebook in the first place, aside from the keeping tabs and lurking) based, generally, on similar interests. so there is some sense but, ultimately, i wonder how the proper filter will be created. this applies to the internet in general for me.

i hope, and in some ways believe, that it will cause a revolution and a reversion to simplicity. or just maybe we're headed here:

http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2010/12/20/101220fi_fiction_saunders

stringer bell wrote:

Don't worry, I don't take offense.

I can see the coupon thing. I like to save money, and if I get to save money on a product I'm already going to buy, so much the better.

However I've never really been a "first adopter" or someone who has to stay on the cutting edge of product information or releases. If you're into that sort of thing I guess Facebook will have some value.

I like the car I bought a few months ago. If someone asks me if I like it, I'll say yes. But telling all of my Facebook friends that I like a Honda doesn't seem productive. Sure one or two may find some value in it, but it just seems like a lot of useless information flowing around.

I am actually much like you; I am not much of a "consumer," or at least I try not to be. I don't identify with brands, per se.

If i am going to do this, the relationship has to be about more than just liking a product. It has to be more like identifying with a passion.

In town we have a local coffee roaster that is very influential in the revitalization of our downtown. They have one main location that features art showings, live music, parties, etc. They have another satellite location that is more for convenience.

In addition, they have opened several other businesses including art galleries, bars, restaurants, farmers markets, bakeries, etc. In other words, their brand is very local-centric and they have a fierce love of our city. The whole brand is extremely authentic and grassroots.

I like knowing what they are doing. I like getting news from them and, in all honesty, I like showing my friends that I support them. I hope that my friends learn more about them and begin to support them as well.

I would never "like" the kind of car that I drive, but i would definitely "like" Krankies Coffee and our local running and cycling stores. I care about getting that information. It isn't about being a first adopter, it is about simply knowing what is going on in the small passion-interest community in which I participate.

Some people feel this way about Chevrolet, Ford, Coca-Cola and other big brands. They are passionate about them and want to feel like they are a part of the community... to actually BE a part of the community.

I totally agree with you, but this is the case with any type of marketing, advertising, PR or community building. You are always going to have companies doing it the wrong way, and when they do it the right way, you are always going to have people abuse it, ignore it, etc.

The goal is not to have the most "Likes," but to have the most relevant engaged audience. It does not make sense for everyone or every brand.

Some people just "like" everything, but that does not mean all their "likes" are useless. Conversely, some people only like one thing, and maybe that one thing is their passion (as the guy stated above).

For the most part, the majority of people using these platforms are morons.

Does anyone find it ironic that the most solipsistic posts here are from people who have deleted facebook?

If your status updates were anything like your wandering god-awful life stories, then no wonder you never got into it.

Also I'd just like to point this out again from the OP: "Or an opportunity to post a photo album down the road which may lead to lots of comments and subsequent 'fame' amongst the facebook community. The latter motivation seems a bit out there, but is inevitably a factor into why many people seem to stay on facebook."

Why not quit letsrun too while you're ahead?