Facebook is going to become a publicly-traded company. The pressure of “public” The entire tone of Facebook and its strategy is about to change in ways that I believe could portend desperation and disaster. Maybe it will will take a few months, maybe it will take a year or more, but inevitably the marching orders of Facebook executives will be determined by this constant drumbeat of “more, higher, faster.” ” Now, what is the source of Facebook’s growing revenues? At least in the near term, Facebook’s prospects seem bright. MORE >>

My friend Mark Schaefer wrote a provocative piece in this very space yesterday about why Facebook will become the most dangerous company on earth. One of Mark’s central observations — that a public company must find ways to grow, and Facebook’s only path to do that is through you and me — was particularly insightful and, for some, alarming. I’ve been studying Facebook for five years as a researcher, and after seeing our most recent data on social media behaviors I can tell you this:  It’s scarier than you think. And by Facebook. MORE >>

A very frequent question I am asked is “What will be the next Facebook?” ” For many people, the logical assumption is that a better product will come along to replace Facebook because MySpace bumped AOL and Facebook bumped MySpace and so it is inevitable something will bump Facebook in the foreseeable future. However I do think Facebook has a seam of vulnerability and could be trounced, and I will riff on that too. But before we get to that, let’s first explore why Facebook is seemingly invincible, despite rumors to the contrary. MORE >>

There is mounting evidence that social networking sites like Facebook tap into a need for connection that is embedded in our DNA. Neuro-Facebook. Facebook is brain crack for a generation. In the long run, this may be the real business benefit of Facebook for many companies. Today, engaging with a brand on Facebook can be mildly interesting. Facebook must get you to spend more time on its site (to collect personal information and sell you ads). Have you seen any companies effectively getting you hooked on Facebook? Not ads. Think about this. MORE >>

One candidate is,  “Should my company have a Facebook page?” The company has whacked-out expectations about how sales will increase once they have a Facebook page. So how do you decide if a Facebook page should be a priority for your company? Here is the business value proposition for Facebook in one sentence: “Come waste time with me.” The overwhelming reason people go to Facebook is to waste time playing Farmville, watching funny videos, or catching up on the details of friend’s lives.  Your life does not depend on Facebook. MORE >>