With more than a billion users, the social network company is constantly looking for new ways to exploit the data gathered on its users and improve the app usage.
Hence, since the beginning of the month, the app displays topic conversations under the name of a contact for some american users.
These topics are generated from the last place visited, a song played or an event the contact has attended. These suggestions are currently in a test phase and Facebook hasn’t confirmed yet that this feature is being implemented.
Behind these new feature lies the strategy of the company that is to transform its messaging app into a distinct social network, dedicated to privileged relationships.
David Marcus, Facebook’s vice president said “Facebook and Messenger are two complementary services”. It is interesting to observe that Facebook is already applying this strategy on its main app, except that it combines personal with public data. For instance, Facebook messages its users about weather forecast, national day or a memory with a friend (other user).
After having implemented direct video calls, birthday reminders, audio calls or payment options, this new feature illustrates well the desire to turn Messenger into a platform dedicated to meaningful relationships by constantly giving them incentives to engage with each other, thus delivering highly qualitative data which constitutes the golden mine of any social network company.
Furthermore, Facebook is slowly building its monetisation system trough the creation of official accounts and personalised sponsored content. It is therefore quite easy to understand why Facebook wants to push its users to engage into conversations and hence deliver valuable content and data.
The strategy and shaping of the Messenger app proves again the importance of value creation through networks but also how today platforms can give incentives to users to deliver the information and data they value the most and will eventually be monetised.
Sources:
http://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/2016/07/01/32001-20160701ARTFIG00363-messenger-s-emancipe-de-plus-en-plus-de-facebook.php
http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2016/10/18/facebook-veut-vous-suggerer-des-sujets-de-conversation-sur-messenger/
Facebook Messenger suggests what to talk about with “Conversation Topics” feature
