Facebook: Bad News for Friends, but Great for Business?

This week, researchers based at Edinburgh Napier University released their findings following a qualititative study investigating the impact of Facebook on users. The research has indicated that the more friends you have, the more likely you are to feel stressed by the experience. It seems that greater visibility and a larger audience are putting an unnecessary spotlight on people who feel compelled to update content and provide a regular news feed on their daily activities. Dr Kathy Charles, the lead researcher behind the study, commented: "Like gambling, Facebook keeps users in a neurotic limbo, not knowing whether they should hang on in there just in case they miss out on something good".

If social media is creating addicts of us all, there is no shortage of businesses looking to feed our obsession! A new start up has launched this week, aimed at linking an individual purchaser's brand loyalty to social media activities. SNAP, Social Network Appreciation Platform, connects the transaction of an offline purchase to the individual purchaser's Facebook or Twitter page. In short, what you buy in the real world is rewarded in the virtual one with points, trophies or discounts if you share the fact that you have made a purchase with friends and followers. We all know the power and value of word of mouth marketing, but this to us, is the ultimate digital enhancement. Companies can also use the tool to track activity, paying a monthly fee to receive feedback on the number of customer 'check-ins' being made online, about their brands or products.

Having been piloted for over a year, we are really excited about the advancement. Greater levels of integration between online and offline marketing offer huge opportunities for organisations, large and small whilst at the same time, delivering new levels of customer service and experience to consumers. Watch this space!

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