Alamo Square San Francisco - My former 'hood.
In my ongoing effort to add social media to my list of services, I was planning a trip to San Francisco to attend the incredible and amazing Inbound Marketing Summit put on by Chris Brogan. I needed a hotel.
A Facebook Search
As I prepared for my trip, I was figuring out how to get a good hotel at a good rate. And I did something I’d never done before. I posted this question on my Facebook page – “Anybody have any good ideas/suggestions on where to stay in San Francisco that’s relatively cheap?”
And within minutes I had an intriguing suggestion: The Grant Plaza in Chinatown. Tina, an old friend/work colleague that I hadn’t been in touch with for years (yes, those folks are good for more than you think!) was now living in San Francisco and gave the Grant Plaza two thumbs up.
Then, along comes “Pat” an old buddy from my hometown who lives in the Bay Area. “My friend Graham is the GM at the Hotel California on Geary Street. I think he’ll get you a great rate.” Up pops Tina again: “I’d definitely go with Hotel California!”
Was it great? Yes. $69.00 a night great. And let me add a quick note; Best Western/Hotel California at Geary and Jones IS great. Wonderful hotel. Thank you Pat and thank you Graham.
So Why Didn’t I Use Google?
That’s a question that Google would like an answer to. Think of it this way – I was faced with a business decision. How do I get the best hotel rate in this city I’m planning to visit? And I have two options in front of me. The yellow pages – Google – or a room full of friends who I know and trust and who travel widely and who actually live where I am going? Which would you choose? It turns out that my decision – not especially thought through or considered – has big time implications for both Google and Facebook.
Here’s why, from a great article at Wired.com. Excerpt below:
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions a more personalized, humanized Web, where our network of friends, colleagues, peers, and family is our primary source of information, just as it is offline. In Zuckerberg’s vision, users will query this “social graph” to find a doctor, the best camera, or someone to hire—rather than tapping the cold mathematics of a Google search. It is a complete rethinking of how we navigate the online world, one that places Facebook right at the center. In other words, right where Google is now.
Wow.
Are There Two Internets?
So one of the curious and interesting things about the tons and tons of data on Facebook is this – it’s behind a wall. Google can’t index it because all that data is on Facebook’s servers and they ain’t sharing for a number of reasons, one of them being that there is no love lost between “The Google” and Facebook. So the 200 million (and growing) people on Facebook and all their information is unseen and unknown by the almost all-knowing, almost all-seeing, Google.
That’s a lot of data and more important, that’s a HUGE audience for ads – the rocket fuel that keeps Google in the stratosphere. In fact, that audience is SO big, Google tried to buy a piece of Facebook only to be rebuffed. By Microsoft. Gggrrrrr!
I Hate Facebook
Facebook drives me completely bat guano crazy. It is the thorniest software to use on a daily basis. It’s easy enough to post updates, but try really using the thing – try building Fan pages and sending updates and creating a robust, rich Facebook presence and I guarantee you’ll be headed for the nearest bar in no time.
Half the time when you try to upload photos it doesn’t work, so they provide you with two ways to do it because they already know that one of the ways they’ve given you DOESN’T WORK. And these people want to take over the world? I don’t think so.
But here’s the thing. This notion of a humanized web – where friends, co-workers, acquaintances and peers weigh in on information? That is one powerful idea. And unwittingly, I tapped right into it when I asked my Facebook friends for a hotel recommendation. I should note: I’ve only done this once. Google remains far and away my preferred search method. But still…
I’m not entirely sure I want to encourage Facebook. Until they can give us something that is intuitive, less cranky and goofy, I’m staying put.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to comment and/or pass along this post to your friends on Facebook or wherever they may hang.
Cheers,
Richard
This post got me thinking: one, when and how is Facebook going to take advantage of this not google searchable network they have built and make some money! ? Two, I agree that Facebook is a frustrating experience, like when they changed business page formats…still not used to the new one! And lastly…..I have used Twitter as a resource to find deals on hotels etc., didn't think to use Facebook…will try the next time!
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for the comment. You know, for a financial planner business like you have, and for a lot of smaller localized businesses, say a furniture maker, or a woodworking school, or an accountant – those kinds of businesses can really take advantage of the "humanized web" that Mark Zuckerberg is talking about. Having a lot of friends on Facebook can really work for you. I have a friend here in Portland who sells real estate and she links her Twitter stream to her personal FB page and has gotten three clients that way.
FYI everyone: Cathy Curtis is a financial planning DIVA. Find her on the web at:
http://www.curtisfinancialplanning.com
Hi! Thank you for the "DIVA" comment! If I may add, I have a Women and Money page on Facebook as well: http://companies.to/womenandmoney/ A great place to go and learn more about financial planning concepts!