Talk Bite: Facebook Welcomes an App Center

Attention Farmville farmers, Spotify junkies, and Draw Something artists: you’re about to get a lot more company in your world of social apps – courtesy of your friends at Facebook. Last week, Facebook announced their plans of an App Center roll-out, a central hub accessible on the social network’s platform to locate all social apps.

Now, if you’re asking yourself, “Isn’t this already available on my Apple App Store or Google Android Play store?” the answer is, yes… and no. Big names like Words with Friends, Draw Something and Bubble Witch Saga prove that social apps have major mass appeal. And while Apple and Google stores are great for locating and purchasing apps, finding those that have inherent social features can be daunting. This move by Facebook allows users to skip these stores all together and use one central place to find it all, that is: mobile, desktop and web apps with social compatibilities. Is it competition for Google and Apple? Definitely. However, Facebook has stated that native mobile apps listed in the center will still direct users to Apple or Google stores. But no matter where you download, the intention is clear: Facebook wants to make all apps social apps. And since Facebook is 900 million users strong, I think it’s safe to assume that developers will want their product featured in this new marketplace.

So what’s the implication for the Facebook user experience? Facebook is measuring the success of an app listed in the App Center by its quality. They’ll be using a variety of signals to measure eligibility, including user engagement and user ratings. This means if your app isn’t performing,  it won’t be listed. It’s also an excellent way to cut back on those “spammy” apps that can clutter the user interface and interfere with user experience.

The announcement of the Facebook App Center is excellent news for both marketers and developers who are invested in the space. Facebook further expanding their interest in the booming apps and gaming industry allows users to easily discover, play, and share within the Facebook environment, ensuring they won’t have to leave the platform to play in another. This new development also speaks to the platforms commitment to expand and monetize their mobile capabilities. Furthermore, Facebook’s App Center guidelines indicate that the user experience will be prioritized, creating high engagement for repeat use, meaning even more regular traffic to the already popular social network.

So what do you think? Do you want search for your new apps using Facebook’s forthcoming App Center? Do you think we’ve found the be-all, end-all of app stores? Or is this just another Apple App Store/Google Android Play wanna-be in the making?

Weekly Social Download: So you don’t have to stress out that everything just changed again.

Trident Gum Fun Audit on Facebook

Trident Gum recently launched a tax-time themed Facebook campaign that is aimed at taking your mind off financial issues. Their Facebook Fun Audit app, is a variable video that connects to your Facebook account and brings in various aspects of your profile (friends, photos, etc), using a algorithms to place them in the video.

Volkswagen Amarok: The Facebook Flipbook

McCann Erickson Istanbul created a simple a flip book using over 200 Facebook photos. No custom app development. Just simple photos. This is a great example of being creative using Facebook’s native functionality without violating any Facebook terms of service.

Who’s Winning The Battle For The Interest Graph: Facebook, Google+ or Twitter?

A very important aspect of the Interest Graph is that unlike the Social Graph, which is for the most part static (except for an occasional friending or unfriending), the Interest Graph is elastic, dynamic, and rapidly changing for any individual consumer based on what they search for, what they follow, and what they express.

Nielsen: Women more likely to visit a social networking site while watching TV

A recent Nielsen report found that people aged 18-34 are the most active with social networking. Those same people are also watching less TV than the older generation. This seems to suggest that younger people are swapping TV screens for their mobile devices, which is further supported by data that shows the time spent on live primetime TV every day increases with age.

Free Throws like Dirk Nowitzki presented by ING-DiBa

ING sponsors the Basketball league in Germany and wanted to connect their offering to a younger audience at Basketball events across the country… So they aimed to leverage smart phones to create an interactive experience anyone could play, and “Free Throw Billboards” were born.