5 Ideas for Facebook to make money - Part IV

Idea #1: Yearly fee
Idea #2: Blogging - Reinvented
Idea #3: Facebook Reunions

Idea #4: Facebook TV - Based on the popularity of the CNN/Facebook integration during the Obama Inauguration, there are huge opportunities to create social TV environments around live TV (sports, reality TV, American Idol) as well as online video (Hulu, Joost, etc.).

As much as the younger generation would have you believe that the TV is dead and everything will be watched online or via a mobile device, there are still plenty of people that love the experience of their couch and a huge LCD display (in HD). The technology to integrate a TV + Internet experience is quickly evolving, and the time is now for Facebook to take this to a new level. People will be going out less during the down economy, and staying home to watch interactive events. Facebook has the opportunity to truly change on those people interact with their friends during Sporting Events, American Idol, Reality TV, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, etc.

[UPDATE:  Looks like Major League Baseball is already exploring this path with Facebook.]

[UPDATE-2:  Will Twitter-TV beat Facebook-TV to the punch on this?]

Plagarism or Open Information?

One of the great things about today's Internet is the free flow of information.  Combined with things like Google search and various mashable technologies, companies are finding new ways to utilize the vast amounts of information that exists freely on the Internet.  

This evening, I had an interesting experience.  While surfing to cnn.com, I was greeted by this cover story.  I appreciated them trying to bring attention to something that seemed to be slipping past people.  I agreed with the concept so much, that I wrote about it the day before.

Maybe it was a complete coincidence.  Maybe we both had the same thought while riding the bike in the gym, and their publishing process took longer than mine did.  Or maybe they got inspired by my viewpoint.  Who knows.  It doesn't matter.  What I need to realize (and remember) is that we're all better off because information is free flowing.  Ideas can get created anywhere, get modified anywhere, and hopefully become something bigger and better somewhere down the road.  

It also means that you better have a plan in place (and wheels in motion) if you ever want to make any money off those ideas.  

The Intersection of Marketing and Technology

I wrote Monday about our Strategic Marketing project on the social media aspects of Obama's election.  Yesterday was the Inauguration, the significance of which could cover multiple pages (or books).  I'm not going to talk about the historical significance, because I don't have the words right now to do it justice.  So I thought I'd talk a little about how the intersection of Marketing and Technology and President Obama have directly affected me, and give some previews into aspects of our paper. 

P-E Obama took the train into Washington DC, a slower path that allowed more people to join in the momentum building towards the inauguration. Building community.  Allowing multiple media outlets to add their unique angle to the moment.  

I watched the Inauguration through multiple sources:

1. It was a snow day in NC, so I downloaded the UStream (like TV viewer) application for iPhone, and was able to watch on my handheld device while watching the kids make snow angels outside. 
2. When I had issues on the iPhone, I switched over to my laptop to get the live stream from CNN, which had partnered with Facebook to provide an integrated Media + Social Networking experience.  
3. I watched as CNN partnered with Microsoft Photosynth to create real-time 3D views of the Inauguration the pictures of thousands of people in attendance.

Over and over the themes were visible.  Building Communities.  Allowing people to modify the experience to their desires.  Integrating technology so it got to people in ways they wanted. Giving away information to the communities to allow them to build new concepts.