The Digital Age has brought about whole new ways of doing things that would’ve never been possible before the Internet. As with most technological advances, the advent of the World Wide Web and social media websites has had a profound impact on the way people do business. No longer are the old advertising methods of billboards and newspapers considered the best marketing a company can get, and even in areas such as social media marketing, there is still constant evolution. The latest progression in this arena is the new Graph Search on Facebook, and marketers who don’t know about it soon will.
What is Facebook Graph Search?
The Graph Search on Facebook is the newest way for people to find things that they’re interested in. Everyone has seen the normal “search” function at the top of each Facebook page, but the Graph goes far beyond this. The Graph Search allows people to find things by using their common language. If a person wants to find restaurants that their friends have visited, they could simply type in “Restaurants my friends have eaten at.” This new feature, of course, goes much further.
The connections that people can make through Graph Search are all encompassing. A search of “friends who work at my company and enjoy hiking,” for instance, would immediately search a person’s network and return exactly what the user is looking for. Anyone who has ever marketed on Facebook knows what type of potential this could have. Instead of hoping that a fan will share a business’s, band’s or anything other Facebook page or post with their friends, these entities can now easily be found by their fans’ connections without said fan having to do anything.
The Repercussions of Graph Search
There’s no doubt that the Graph Search will have an effect on the marketing world, but most fail to realize just how big of an effect. Advertising Age, for instance, released a review entitled “How Facebook’s Graph Search Will Dethrone Google Search.” Facebook obviously has the edge on the aforementioned search terms (ie. bands my friends like), but the fireworks really start when Facebook cannot make sense of a specific search term.
Whenever a person enters a search term that Graph Search cannot process, it automatically provides search results from Bing, one of Google’s fiercest competitors. Experts expect that advertising dollars will slowly start to leave Google and go to Facebook, and this is especially expected in lifestyle and local arenas since those are the things people will often be looking for when using the Graph (ie. local services, restaurants and things to do).
How does Graph Search stack up in Social Media Marketing?
Many marketers may find it hard to look past their current social media marketing techniques and move on to Facebook Graph. This is understandable, but the feeling will eventually subside when they begin to realize how Graph Search stacks up against other marketing methods. A promoted post, for instance, may be slightly targeted, but it’s still going to show to many people who just don’t care while the price remains the same.
Facebook pay per click (PPC) ads are another way of advertising that Graph Search has a distinct advantage over. PPC ads are great since Facebook will only charge a person when their ad actually gets clicked. Anyone who has used this method of advertising, however, knows that the company with the deepest pockets gets the best marketing. PPC ads end up going to the highest bidder. For companies who are focusing on popular keywords and are facing off against larger companies, the bids of these clickable ads can quickly push them out of the market. When it comes to a promoted post or PPC ad, Graph Search is cheaper (free) and more targeted.
Facebook has been on the forefront of advancements in the business world numerous times over the past few years. It seems as if with their new Graph Search, they will likely continue this tradition. Every business owner, micropreneur, entrepreneur and anyone else who has a need to market will definitely need to promote their venture in as many ways as possible. As the Graph Search grows in size and popularity, however, the use of pay per click ads will likely start to show diminishing returns so get on the graph while its climbing!
Peter Marino always stays on top of the latest trends in the digital marketing world and is available for social media marketing and management.