SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Social Media — tracks feedback from leading marketers about social media practices and issues.
This week, we asked: What was your reaction to Facebook’s announcement turning out to be a search tool?
- No opinion: 49.67%
- I’m disappointed: 24.84%
- It’s cool, but not quite what I expected: 19.61%
- It’s just what I was hoping for: 5.88%
Facebook’s “big announcement” generated a lot of excitement early last week. But the product that was unveiled — Facebook’s Graph Search tool — has received a mixed reaction in the media. Some people postulate that the tool will affect user privacy or even lead to creepy behavior, while others say it could have disruptive effects for several other kinds of online businesses. Some argue that marketers will get more out of the tool than regular users — and I agree — but marketers are happy to moan that the tool doesn’t deliver everything they ever wanted — and might even do some damage.
Almost half of SmartBrief on Social Media readers said they had no reaction to the announcement. Almost half of those who did have a reaction said they were disappointed by the announcement. Whether or not you were personally elated with the announcement, it’s a mistake to tune out news about Graph Search. The smart money says that the changes are so deep — but at the same time, so far beneath most people’s notice — that it’s impossible to predict how the network’s ecosystem will evolve as a result. Whether you use the network to keep up with your grandkids or use it to attract new clients, Graph Search will change your relationship with the network and will open the door to connecting with new people and brands. We don’t yet know everything we need to know about Graph Search to make a full assessment. All the more reason to watch this space closely.