Is Facebook manipulating its page reach mechanism?

Recently, there have been widespread speculations on whether or not Facebook is manipulating its EdgeRank mechanism to push their Promoted post feature. A better understanding of fan behavior and the purpose of EdgeRank is more than sufficient to make you realize that Facebook isn’t playing dirty with you. Click here to read the complete article.  

Instant Facebook Applications

Kreata Global, one of India’s leading digital media outsourcing firm presents an extensive array of custom-made social media applications for those seeking instant solutions on Facebook. Kreata Global had been in the top most position in game development in Facebook for many of its clients till date. Now Kreata Global is stepping ahead by developing instant Facebook application for their customers. 

These are highly customized applications, readymade for you to hit the target audience directly and in no time. Moreover, these come to you with an added advantage of option for further customization if needed, as per your specific requirement. Thus it enables you to accomplish your digital marketing goals in a single go.

Kreata Global also offers the perfect creative and technical support, exclusively for our customers. Listed below is the set of Instant Facebook Applications we provide:   

• Invite friends – Normal/contest mode
• Signup form
• Vote/Poll/Survey
• Contests:

                     Audio Recording Apps. 
                     Video Recording Apps. 
                     Text Messages/Essays 
                     Photo uploading contests
                     (with/without rating)

• Sweepstakes
• E-coupon/E-gift vouchers
• Rating 

Each of these applications has salient features. Let us see them in detail.

1. Invite Friends – normal/contest mode

A) Normal mode: As per this method, we send an announcement to a selected database of people asking them to ‘Like’ a page on Facebook and also appeal them to invite their friends. 

B) Contest mode: It’s similar to the normal mode, but for some attractive prizes. Here, we announce small contests whereby users will stand to win prizes based on our tracking of invite details. 

2. Signup form 

Here, we run a contest as a part of which a sign up form will be provided to the users. They can fill it up to win prizes and also invite their friends to the contest. 

3. Vote / Poll / Survey 

Interesting topics are selected and raised before the users in the form of a survey or a poll in this. They can accordingly vote or indicate their opinion through polls and see the larger collective opinion and the progress of the survey, anytime. 

4. Contests (with or without)

Kreata Global offers a very exciting array of contests which help capture the interest of the users. Here are some of them: 

4.1: Voice Recording Apps (Red5/FMS) 

Here, the user is provided with an online audio recorder which they can use to record something interesting and post on their wall. The best ones shall be selected for special prizes or discounts. 

4.2: Video recording Apps (Red5/FMS) 

As per this, one can record an interesting visual message and post it on Facebook. The best ones would be selected for gifts. 

4.3: Text Message/Quote/Essay Apps  

Interesting quotes, phrases or even essays shall be posted by a user on a give space in the wall and as per the ratings they can win prizes. 

4.4: Photo uploading contests 

According to this, the user can upload his/her photo and ask their friends to rate it. The one who emerges the hottest would win prizes. 

5. Promos / Sweepstakes 

These are just like an on-line form of conventional sweepstakes. The user would just need to fill in a required form and submit, as a result of which they may stand to win fabulous prizes. 

6. E-coupon 

Here, a user needs to simply ‘Like’ a page, fill in their personal whereabouts and submit it. An online discount coupon will either be mailed to their email id or provided with the option of direct download. 

7. Rating 

The applications mentioned above, especially the contests, may come with or without rating. Anyhow, a special rating application whereby users can rate a particular posting shall be provided in case of specific requirement. 

The main advantage of these instant Facebook apps is that they take less time for development. When a customer comes to us for the development of an application, we customize the apps that we already have with us and thus require less time in development compared to others. Through these applications you can always target your audience and capture them within a short span of time hence it helps in branding your company among the huge crowd. 

Facebook’s Musical Rhythms

The word ‘Facebook’ has always been a thrilling music to the ears of millions of its users the world over. Now, there will be one more reason for this largest social networking site in the world to be so – the introduction of its online music services. Already an authoritative force in internet sectors like retailing, news and games, the music segment that is going to be a part of the Facebook services are likely to open new trends in social networking and online user-behavioral patterns. 

Facebook, as per reports, has already teamed up with ‘Spotify’, a European music streaming service, with more potential partners lined up for the 2011 edition. As per this, the users of Facebook will find a new tab called Music in the left-hand column of their pages alongside existing features like Photos, Friends, Deals etc.. This new tab, on clicking will open to a page called Music Dashboard.

This Music Dashboard will have the following features:

1. Music Notifications: These notifications let you know whether your friends have listened to songs recommended by you or on your profile.
2. Recommended Songs: Your friends might have played and recommended certain songs and you get to see a list of them. You can also play them back by clicking the play icon.
3. Top Songs: These let you get a list of the top songs from your friends.
4. Top Albums:This is with cover art and lets you know the top albums from your friends. 
5. Recent listens: This gives a list of the recent songs listened by your friends.
6. In the upper-right corner there will be a “happening now” ticker that shows what all happens in your sphere that includes songs that your friends are playing at that particular moment.

Spotify already has options that allows users to share information about the song they are listening to on Spotify with their Facebook friends. The next level of combination might get much more interesting with Facebook Connect and Facebook Likes playing important parts. 

This new move from Facebook is widely being regarded by online marketing and social media strategists as one with an intention to further expand its share of social commerce. The move is very relevant in the big change that has come about in the online music consumption patterns of the users. The trend these days is not to download songs, but to subscribe to a huge library of music. Thus, Facebook should consider itself on the right track and a part of a changing scenario.

Moreover, music is one of the principle revenue generators online and including it in the kit might win an already popular site like Facebook much more fans globally. The existing users too would have yet another reason to keep sticking on with Facebook and visit the site more frequently and linger for a longer time.