Privacy Becomes Identity

I like to see what my friends are doing in Facebook, big or small, including what they’re buying. My friend Ryan bought something on Hotwire.com that showed up as a “beacon” in my Facebook News Feed, he’s a savvy traveler, and I took note.

Facebook was getting blow back just before the weekend about whether someone like Ryan, who is buying something on one of Facebook’s partner sites, is getting ample opportunity to opt-in to a beacon. But, that’s not really the issue.

The issue is why (why?) does Facebook want to take the most effective form of advertising - you to me - and dilute it with ads?

Let me put it this way. If Ryan walked up to me on the street and said “Brooks, I needed to catch a quick flight to Tokyo and Hotwire.com came through with a very cheap, last minute ticket,” that’s gold for Ryan, me, and Hotwire.com. Nothing else is needed, anything additional detracts.

So, this is what Facebook should do.

Just have their partner sites offer buyers the “Share” button that is available in the Firefox toolbar and many places in the Facebook app.

This will allow Ryan to comment on what he bought (and opt-in in the process, the easiest opt-in in the history of the world), and that’s what I want to hear about more than anything. And that’s it.Â If Ryan doesn’t use the “Share” functionality, that’s where it ends. The negative issue of privacy then becomes a positive one of identity.

In other words, the fuel for social marketing is our identification with what we’re buying and our desire to share it. Facebook, get out of the way. Give me a chance to click on that Hotwire.com link because Ryan recommended it.