Facebook Campus launch
This week, Facebook launched the plans for a new section on their platform, by going back to their roots as a college-focused networking platform. This space is specifically designed to connect with fellow classmates. The section is designed for people from the same university. Users will only be accepted when entering with the e-mail of their universities. With the use of this platform, people with similar interests will be able to find each other.
The Student’s Perspective
Student Nick de Werd at the Rotterdam School of Management reacts to the new platform: ‘I really feel this adds value to their platform. Nowadays, I am a member of multiple university related Facebook groups, like ‘RSM MSc Masters’, ‘Erasmus University Rotterdam Bedrijfskunde’ and ‘RSM MSc Business Information Management’. These university related pages have a different intention than my normal timeline. My normal timeline gives information about the news, funny video’s or posts from friends. The university groups are really separated from this feed, so Facebook Campus could play that role.’
This is an interesting insight, which I agree on. Especially in current times, the pandemic is causing student groups to operate more digitally. Students are generally interested to meet each other, so groups are already formed. Facebook is streamlining this process, to assist people in finding each other.
The Business Perspective
Facebook benefits from more interactions and more users, which could come from the new section. A 2018 report from the Pew Research Center showed that YouTube, Instragram and Snapchat are becoming more popular with teens compared to Facebook. This section could be an opportunity for Facebook to add following and interaction of relatively younger users.
If Facebook Campus will be a success, this will add considerate business value to Facebook. The main income for Facebook comes from digital advertising. As Facebook Canvas has more data on the early professional aspect of users’ lives, it could add to the effectiveness of the Facebook ads. Students of different groups can specifically be targeted. This can be another huge way of generating income for Facebook.
The technology is now piloted with 30 universities in the United States. It might take months before it will be introduced in Europe, if introduced at all. I think it will be a success, as it streamlines the process of normal group formations in Facebook, which is already regularly used. It will definitely be interesting to see if students will actively post and discuss on Facebook Campus, instead of using platforms set up by universities themselves, like Canvas Student. Do you think Facebook Campus will be a success? And would you use this section of the app if it was available?
References
Eadicicco, L. (2020). Facebook announces a new college-only social network called Facebook Campus, 16 years after launching as a student-only social network. Retrieved from: https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-campus-launches-college-only-social-network-2020-9?international=true&r=US&IR=T
Hung, C. (2020). Introducing Facebook Campus. Retrieved from: https://about.fb.com/news/2020/09/introducing-facebook-campus/#:~:text=Today%2C%20we%20are%20launching%20Facebook,conversations%20within%20your%20college%20community.
Carman, A. (2020). Facebook reinvents Facebook with the launch of Campus for college students. Retrieved from: https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/10/21429159/facebook-campus-app-college-students
Interesting topic! Facebook’s popularity seems to decline due to the role they played in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign (enabling Cambrigde Analytica to collect data of its users) in a time where people start realizing the importance of their privacy on the internet. This resulted in a lack of trust and therefore lowered their popularity. It is good that Facebook is seeking new opportunities to create value for their customers. Like Nick de Werd explains, having both your social life and student groups in one platform seems to be too much as they serve a different objective. Therefore I think that having Facebook Campus is a great expansion. It gives the possibility to use Facebook for fun activities while not having to think about things going on at university while you can use Facebook Campus when you actually want to know more about what is going on at university. Like you I highly believe that Facebook campus will be a great success, offering more interactions among students (which is the most important thing for a platform to be sustainable). Also, it might be more user friendly by giving only notifications when something in that group is posted (without getting notifications from other friends that published content on the regular Facebook). Therefore, I would definitely use the app and start using Facebook more often.
However, do you think that Facebook Campus should only be restricted to students? When including the academic staff of a program in the chat Facebook might compete with Zoom and Youtube by offering the opportunity for lecturers to give lectures on the platform that are only shown on that particular page. A page where students connect with academic staff is also beneficial after graduation. For example when a professor is search an alumni to give a guest lecture it is extremely easy to find one. Now it is primarily done via LinkedIn. However, most students do not connect with everyone working at university, making it hard for them to find you.
Hello Jim, I am glad you agree with the fact that Facebook Campus could be a great addition! I completely agree with your comment about adding academic staff to the program, and the possibilities of creating alumni profiles. This could even add more value to the section. However, I do believe they should be linked to the university by having been accepted by that particular programme or university. Preferably, you would keep every page private to outsiders. If people can enter too easily by stating they are staff, the problem of unwanted promotions and unwanted recruitment could occur.
Hi Nino, it is indeed extremely important to somehow check the people who enter the group. Otherwise the added value might be destructed.
It’s quite interesting that Facebook plans to target back on school networks. I think one of the reasons why Facebook’s popularity drops among young generation is its text/article-focused nature. While Instagram, Youtube or even Tik Tok were designed for sharing pictures and films from the very beginning, which enables them to appeal to users that are looking for funny and entertaining stuffs online. Reversely, it would probably be a success if Facebook can serve as the main platform for school works, as readings and reports are still the big parts in school courses.