Eavesdropping is fun but Facebook is better...

I'm an eavesdropper. I listen in on conversations everywhere I go, often to the chagrin of whoever I happen to be out with (and probably those whose privacy I'm invading). I can't help it, I'm fascinated to hear little snippets of other people's lives.

Morning conversation overheard in a coffee shop: "My daughter is going to a basketball game tonight. Of course, I only know that because I read it on her status update."

Overheard conversation #2 at lunch: "Did you see on Linda's status update that she and the kids went to the Children's Museum? Sounds like Sasha had a meltdown, poor thing."

Final overheard conversation at a bookstore cafe: "I can't believe that Mike and Allison are going out! I found out on her Facebook status. I'm so happy for her!"

These days, I eavesdrop on these sorts of conversations, in which people's and daily activities are being widely reported and then commented upon - all thanks to networks like Facebook.

Then, just today, I went to my partner's new office and ran into her boss. She's a 'newbie' to the social networking world and a friend of mine on Facebook. She gave me a hug and the first words out of her mouth were "I feel like I know what's happening with you all the time now because of Facebook! I love it!"

Yesterday on my way to the other side of the state for a meeting, I called a colleague about a conference in which I'm participating. 'Hi Tara,' she greets me. 'On your way to Portsmouth are you?' She'd read my status update on Facebook.

The fastest growing demographic on Facebook is women 50+. And you know something has gone mainstream when Oprah has three questions about it on her Hot Topics page...

I love Facebook because it's even better than eavesdropping on people's conversations. You get to be part of peoples' lives and know what's happening with them from the mundane, to the bizarre, to the dramatic. And you can insert yourself into the conversation unlike when you're eavesdropping!

Over 175,000,000 people actively use Facebook now, and it's growing to the tune of 7,000 users per day. The company is making accommodations for celebrities and companies so they can act more like 'individuals' on Facebook rather than as static sites without the ability to interact in the same ways. Oprah Winfrey will be one of the first on board, as will be Britney Spears.

"Facebook is such a cool and easy way for me to connect with my fans while I'm on the road," said Britney Spears according to Facebook's press release. "I love that I can update my status, blog and post videos and photos all in one place."

As the Facebook frenzy reaches a feverish pitch, organizations are realizing that for many of them, this is where their audience is spending their time. (This and many other social networks, like Flickr, MySpace, LinkedIn, to name a few.) And, as the old marketing adage goes - you need to meet your audience where they are.

Organizations slapping up Facebook pages, signing up for LinkedIn, or beginning to blog. And they are literally slapping them up with no real strategy in mind, or understanding of how to leverage the evolving communities and their connections. Many are attempting to apply old school marketing practices in this new environment - and it just doesn't work.

If you're going to implement a Facebook page, you need to have a strategy for how to stay connected and remain relevant with your audience. People's attention spans aren't long... so, keeping people curious and engaged is key. (As in shorter blog posts for one thing!) As with anything - knowing what, when, why, and how you are going to proceed is the only way you'll succeed.

You can begin by paying attention to the way people interact through social networks. Sign up for Facebook if you haven't already. Check out Twitter, and Flickr, and LinkedIn. And don't immediately think about what YOU want to get out of it... just be part of it for a little while (existentially FB?). Spend some time eavesdropping before inserting yourself into the conversation... as happens when you are face to face, inserting yourself in the wrong way, at the wrong time, and with the wrong tone can turn people off for good.