Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Ever post photos from your vacation on Facebook? If so, the travel industry thanks you. By making your friends jealous of your good time -- you know what I mean: the photos of you under a palm tree, or zip-lining across the jungle, or hoisting a chilly cocktail -- you inspire your Facebook friends to plan a vacation of their own. In other words, envy drives sales.
From the PR and marketing blog simplyzesty.com:
The survey by Teletext Holidays provided fascinating results into the actions of people online and how this translates into sales. They surveyed 3,000 holidayers from the UK and found that a staggering 13% had booked their holiday after viewing their friends holiday photos on Facebook. They were so impressed with what they saw that they were compelled to book a similar holiday themselves, spurred on by jealousy. Compare this to the fact that in the same survey, nearly 50% of respondents claimed they had posted pictures of their own holiday, and the potential here is evident. With so many of us sharing content and inciting others, there is almost an entirely new group of customers created. Without Facebook, arguably, that 13% may never have gone on to book to that particular destination, through a certain travel provider, or even have gone on holiday at all.
Indeed, 10% claimed that they weren’t previously considering a holiday, before their friend’s photos spurred them on to do so. Interestingly, 10% also admitted to ‘stretching’ the truth about just how good their holiday was. With more of us creating an idealised version of our lives through social media, it’s not surprising that friends feel compelled to copy the lifestyle a friend is embodying. And with travel it seems, that is occurring in a very real way.
So, to recap: we lie on Facebook about how much fun we had on vacation, which inspires jealousy and desire in our Facebook friends, who in a misguided attempt to have as good a time as we did (even though we didn't have that great a time) spend money they wouldn't otherwise have spent on a vacation that's sole purpose is the recreate the joy we didn't experience in the first place.
Do I have that right? And gets worse:
The more we become subjected to endless photos and updates of perfect lives, the more we question our own lives. We are effectively becoming advertisers of lifestyle, developing keenly the tricks of the advertising trade, though sometimes unknowingly. The intention of sharing your best moments of course, is to let your friends experience this with you, not directly to make them feel worse. Yet that’s happening more and more in social media.
A research paper looked at the idea of envy on Facebook and found an increase in the number of people feeling dejected after seeing their friends’ perfect lives. Of course, the reality is rarely reflected completely accurately online, making us masters of false advertising.
In this one instance, though, I have to declare myself blameless. I never update my Facebook status, and I never post photographs of myself having a good time. I actually find it hard to have a good time when there are people around taking pictures of that good time and posting them, so maybe that's a self-realizing circuit.
On the other hand, now that I know how much it hurts my "friends" to know how fantastically happy I am, I might start posting more often. I have a lot more "friends" than friends, which is probably the root of this particular problem.
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Aug '11
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
In a sense, it seems like you're describing "word of mouth advertising," which is still the most potent of the form, now being employed in one of the most potent communication models of the current era: Facebook.
Positive, word-of-mouth advertising has always been an elusive achievement for marketers. Facebook has absolutely revolutionized the business by giving advertisers the ability to harness that power.
(I am neither fer it nor agin it.)
Other than that, you sound a little grumpy, Rob. Do you need a "friend"?
Edited on Aug 24, 2011 at 2:34pmDec '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Does this mean Rob is going to de-friend everyone on Ricochet?
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
I am the king of the Grumpy Word of Mouth!
But the truth is, word of mouth works because it's one-to-one, mostly. I tell you that you've got to see a movie, you see it, you hate it, I lose my cred.
This is more subtle. The study here seems to suggest that I'm creating a delusional set of memories, through Facebook photographs, that aren't true but nevertheless create envy in others and spur them to do what they otherwise wouldn't -- take a vacation to a place they didn't really want to go until they saw my (basically deceptive) photographs. My real life friends probably know I didn't have a good time -- I'm grumpy, as you noted -- but my Facebook "friends" don't, and suddenly there they are on Travelocity making reservations.
It's an interesting phenomenon that's pretty new. I mean, in the old days, people you could influence who weren't your real life friends were called your "public," and only celebrities had them. I've got 900 of them on Facebook, 3000 on Twitter. Imagine how many I'd have if I wasn't so grumpy!
May '11
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
"I have a lot more "friends" than friends, which is probably the root of this particular problem."
You got that right.
Aug '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
The whole business has always seemed a bit unseemly to me - to participate on Facebook you either need to be a pathetic narcissist who thinks people actually care what you're doing every minute of the day or an even more pathetic loner who has to constantly see what other people are doing to fill the void in your own empty life.
(I would like to sincerely apologize if I've offended any of the 3 billion Facebook users on the planet since I realize that not all of you would fall into either of the above categories - I"m sure some of you are just trying to be trendy)
That's weird...it felt like I was channeling Kenneth for a minute!
Aug '11
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Okay, I have a grasp of the conundrum here. It's not that your "friends" are supplying business and industry with positive word-of-mouth advertising; it's that your "friends" are essentially creating ad campaigns, with all the set-pieces, backdrops, and illusion that implies.
And now I'm fascinated. Please continue!
Nov '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Well yes, surely there are those on Facebook.. perhaps a majority. But it can be constructive and stimulating. Old military buddies and I have expanded our periodic reunions with old friends we found on Facebook; there is opportunity to learn a lot more about friends (old and new) than we otherwise might and come to a greater understanding, perhaps even find more common ground, there is opportunity to reconnect with old girlfriends and find out they don't hate us (that's a relief), opportunity to share and discuss ideas, opportunity to follow outlets like PJTV and Heritage, etc.
I suppose like fire, the automobile, electricity, or any of man's discoveries or inventions, it depends how it is used.
Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
May '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Facebook provides a valuable service in enabling people to stalk ex-girlfriends. What, like I'm supposed to go to the trouble to break in a new one? So time-consuming. Easier to hit the ground running.
It also allows sharing videos with a larger group of people instead of sending them via email. And Twitter's so time-sensitive people are likely to miss out on your brilliance. Whereas Facebook sticks longer, giving people a chance to savor at leisure.
Google+ is a sort of niche thing, I gather, attracting mainly Paul Krugman enthusiasts.
What these platforms really do is replace personal blogs. They have a wider audience, all gathered in one place. With little maintenance required.
May '11
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Who would have thought that I would get to the point in my life where nobody "likes" me, nobody is "following" me and I have no "friends" but I feel like every day is better than the last. Climate change has come to Hades.
Aug '11
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Thanks to the magic of Facebook, I learned that an ex-girlfriend had gone completely over to the dark side, and spent most of last spring demonstrating against Scott Walker in Madison. Facebook has brought me this great insight: I really dodged a bullet!
Aug '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Lucky for me, none of my Facebook friends have perfect lives. Mostly, their posts are complaints about the government or photos of their kids.
Edited on Aug 24, 2011 at 1:26pmDec '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Copperfield
I suppose like fire, the automobile, electricity, or any of man's discoveries or inventions, it depends how it is used.
Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. · Aug 24 at 12:51pm
Chuckle, snort...
Hey! I've got an idea. Let's start a new conspiracy theory. Rob Long is being paid by Google to undermine both Twitter & Facebook in order to pave the way for Google+
May '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
My theory is that Rob's complaining about his having got Facebook wrong, and determination to get Google+ right persuaded Facebook to announce their revised security model, to mimic Google's "circles".
The awesome influence of the founders of Ricochet!
May '11
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
What's Facebook?
Jun '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
I mostly share youtube videos of songs I like and links to ricochet posts on facebook. What does that make me?
Dec '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Let's see...according to Frozen Chosen... pathetic narcissist or pathetic loner? Doesn't Ricochet have a Hogwarts style sorting hat for this?
Jun '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
The Great Adventure!
Let's see...according to Frozen Chosen... pathetic narcissist or pathetic loner? Doesn't Ricochet have a Hogwarts style sorting hat for this? · Aug 24 at 3:14pm
I'm good enough. I'm smart enough, and dogone it, people like me! Is it REALLY narcissism to merely agree with their good judgement?
Dec '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
shelby_forthright
The Great Adventure!
Let's see...according to Frozen Chosen... pathetic narcissist or pathetic loner? Doesn't Ricochet have a Hogwarts style sorting hat for this? · Aug 24 at 3:14pm
I'm good enough. I'm smart enough, and dogone it, people like me! Is it REALLY narcissism to merely agree with their good judgement? · Aug 24 at 3:41pm
I'll confess - I'm a bit of a Facebook junkie. There. I said it.
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Robert Dammers: My theory is that Rob's complaining about his having got Facebook wrong, and determination to get Google+ right persuaded Facebook to announce their revised security model, to mimic Google's "circles".
The awesome influence of the founders of Ricochet! · Aug 24 at 2:23pm
Behold our power!
Jul '10
Re: Jealousy, Lies & Loneliness: the Facebook Business Model
Hey! You stole my line!!!