Estate Agents to expect Facebook overhaul

 

As we’ve seen in the past, Facebook seems to update its services all in one go. Whether this is to create PR hype, hide a few unfavourable changes or both is uncertain.

For example, this month Facebook already announced the new Facebook messenger app which is set to rival services such as BlackBerry’s Messenger service (BBM).

Now Facebook has announced a whole variety of changes that will affect how Facebook user’s security settings and how they interact with the social network’s website.

Facebook ‘circles’ – As we mentioned in previous posts, one of Google+’s biggest advantages was to give the user the ability to customise who sees each individual message. This is all well and good, but Facebook already had this functionality, it was just understated and most importantly… underused.

It is now being brought to the forefront with a more prominent redesign, but by letting users customise messages within their network of friends, is Facebook dooming itself to a life of low level interacts with fewer users?

Visibility – One of the best changes Facebook is making is changing the visibility of posts after they have been published. Meaning that if users have made a mistake, they won’t have to delete the post and re-post it with the right security settings.

Not only this, but they are also replacing the word ‘Everyone’ with the word ‘public’ – just for clarification.

View profile as… – This change is perfect for the security conscious amongst us, it allows us to view our profile as if we are a stranger. For those well adept at Facebook security settings will know that it has previously been buried within the customise section of Privacy settings. Again this change is just for those amateur users that don’t use Facebook that much.

Tagging – This is an interesting one, not only can users now detag themselves, but they will be able to quietly ask people to take down something that they do not agree with. Of course you could do it in real life or email them, but I guess this just reminds people that they don’t have to have drunken photos of them online if they don’t want.

Places – After previously writing about Facebook Places going live, Facebook Places is being phased out!

Now instead it is being replaced with location tags. These location tags will show the user’s position and will allow the user to make a comment about the location in which they are in.

James Coyne eMarketing and Social Media Consultant