This document discusses how non-developers can understand and leverage Facebook's Open Graph and Timeline apps. It explains key concepts like profiles, pages, news feeds and how users spend more time on timelines than other areas. It identifies timelines as an untapped opportunity and discusses how apps can aggregate user actions into meaningful stories. Best practices for successful timeline apps include driving existing users to publish engaging stories and making it easy for new users to create stories and continue the growth loop.

1. Apps, Timeline and Facepile:
Making Sense of Facebook as a Non-Developer
Lindsay Reene @GeekLindsay
Social Engagement Manager, Engauge
Friday, October 12, 2012 1

2. Hi there!
•
Social
tech
geek
•
Millennial
•
@GeekLindsay
Friday, October 12, 2012 2

3. Topics We’ll Cover
• Exploring
the
Why
• Discovering
an
Untapped
Opportunity
• Understanding
Open
Graph
and
Timeline
Apps
• Making
Sure
It’s
the
Right
Fit
• Doing
It
Well
-­‐
Or
Not
At
All
Friday, October 12, 2012 3

4. Exploring the Why
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5. Why It’s Worth It to Understand
In Silicon Valley, there are engineers and non-engineers. I’m a non-engineer. ...[But]
I think I’d be better at my job if I were more technical.
The person who has my job in the next generation will probably be a
computer scientist.
- Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook
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6. The Value in Social
Bottom-Line Value: Customers who engage with companies over social
media spend 20-40% more money with those companies than customers
who do not. - Bain & Company
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7. The Value in Facebook
Every month, 12 times more people (235 million) play games on
Facebook than the viewership of Season 11 of American Idol (19.7
million), one of the highest rated TV shows in the history of television.
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8. But, you’re thinking ...
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9. So,
let’s
get
to
the
fun
part.
Friday, October 12, 2012 9

10. Discovering an Untapped Opportunity
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11. Key Terminologies
Friday, October 12, 2012 11

12. Key Terminologies
Personal
User
Profile
Page
Where
users
post
status
updates
“Timeline”
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13. Key Terminologies
Company/Corporate
Profile
Page
Where
companies/
brands
post
and
house
status
updates
“Brand
Page”
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14. Key Terminologies
Homepage
Collects
stories
from
brand
and
personal
pages
“News
Feed”
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15. Where Users Spend Their Time
Follow
the
User
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16. Where Users Spend Their Time
More
Time
on
News
Feed Than
Brand
Pages
Less than 5% of users return to a brand page within a month after
Liking it. - ComScore
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17. Where Users Spend Their Time
More
Time
on
Timeline
(Profile)
Pages Than
News
Feed
Users engage within Timelines more than 2x as much than on the
News Feed. - Extole
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18. The Opportunity: The Timeline
Brand Pages News Feed Timeline
(User Profile
Pages)
Where
brands
primarily
invest
Opportunity
space
resources
managing
today
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19. An Untapped Opportunity
Doubled
referral
Increased
referral
Drove
six
million
traffic
and
grew
traffic
from
viewers
to
its
Super
membership
from
Facebook
400%. Bowl
Ad
Meter
in
1.8
to
3.2
million
in
four
weeks.
four
months.
This brand activity was all driven via Timeline, not on a brand page.
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20. An Untapped Opportunity
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21. Understanding Open Graph and Timeline Apps
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22. Facebook Open Graph
Object
(e.g.
brand
page,
webpage)
Must
be
rooted
in
a
unique
URL.
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23. Is So Two
Thousand Late
Friday, October 12, 2012 23

24. Facebook Latest Change: Expands Actions
Object
Object
(e.g.
brand
page,
webpage) (e.g.
photo,
movie,
points,
webpage)
Must
be
rooted
in
a
unique
URL. Unlimited
and
must
no
longer
be
rooted
in
a
unique
URL.
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25. Is to VIRAL,
As Are to HOT.
ACTIONS: 2012 and beyond
Friday, October 12, 2012 25

26. Open Graph Aggregation
Meaningful
Action Object Timeline Apps
Aggregation
Jessica
read
a
book. John
ran
his
fastest
run.
Sara
gained
the
most
points.
Simply: Timeline applications aggregate Open Graph stories into
meaningful messages.
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27. Friday, October 12, 2012 27

28. Example
Friday, October 12, 2012 28

29. Example
Wants Attended
User
creates
a
story.
Pinned Nommed
Watched
Newsfeed Ticker Timeline
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30. Facilitating User Expression
• Zuck’s
challenge
• User
expression
in
the
“About
Me”
and
on
the
Timeline
• Idencficacon
of
the
drives,
mocvacons
and
unfulfilled
desires
of
your
core
consumers
Objective: Make them look cool (i.e. popular, interesting, cultured,
[INSERT ADJECTIVE] etc.) to their friends.
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31. Making Sure It’s the Right Fit
Friday, October 12, 2012 31

32. When Are Timeline Applications Ideal?
Mobile
apps
Gaming
Digital
content
consumpcon
e-­‐Commerce
Other
digital
transaccon
pladorm
Timeline apps are ideal for frequent and repeated digital experiences.
Friday, October 12, 2012 32

33. Mobile App: Instagram
Facebook users on a mobile app are twice as engaged as those who
use the app on a desktop.
Friday, October 12, 2012 33

34. Gaming: SongPop
• Guiding
principles
for
Open
Graph
apps
in
games:
• Idencty
curacon
• Friends
Engagement
• Drive
social
engagement
with
game-­‐related
incencves
Friday, October 12, 2012 34

35. When Are Timeline Applications Ideal?
Mobile
apps
Gaming
Digital
content
consumpcon
e-­‐Commerce
Other
digital
transaccon
pladorm
Friday, October 12, 2012 35

36. Digital Content Consumption: Viddy
• In
two
months
(February
to
April),
Viddy
increased
it’s
monthly
ac1ve
users
1,500%
(to
920,000).
• Yes,
in
two
months.
• In
one
month
(April-­‐May),
it
grew
from
4
million
to
26
million
users.
• Yes,
in
one
month.
Facebook Timeline app integration catapulted a relatively obscure
platform into a viral success ... in three months.
Friday, October 12, 2012 36

37. E-Commerce: Elle
Pair
“Active” Timeline verbs allow users opportunities to express
themselves and drive consumer-to-consumer conversation around
brands.
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38. E-Commerce: Pottery Barn
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39. Other Digital Platform: Mustang Customizer
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40. Other Timeline Application Sample Examples
Digital
loyalty
program Digital
media
rental
Gamifies
the
plaJorm
for
most
loyal
Connects
users
with
friends’
watch
consumers acLvity
• Points
collected
• (Total
number)
movies
viewed
• Owned/favorite
rewards
-­‐
image
• Favorite
TV
shows
-­‐
image
gallery
gallery • Queued
items
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41. Doing It Well - Or Not At All
Friday, October 12, 2012 41

42. Facebook Timeline Apps Best Practices
1.
Drive
stories
• Get
an
exiscng
user
base
publishing
stories
• Make
published
stories
appealing
2.
Make
it
easy
for
new
users
Source: “Guide: Complete the loop to grow your app with Open Graph” via Facebook Developer Blog
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43. Drive Stories
“Stories are your currency for driving growth of your app.” - Facebook
Friday, October 12, 2012 43

44. Get Existing Users Publishing Stories
• “Upsell”
on
homepage
• Communicate
the
benefits
• Communicate
social
throughout
• Use
images
of
friends
-­‐
Facepile
Friday, October 12, 2012 44

45. Make Published Stories Appealing
•
User
messages
• Personalized
content
• User-­‐generated
message/
image
• Achievements
and
meaningful
aggregacons
• Shareable
experiences
Objective: Make them look cool (i.e. popular, interesting, cultured,
[INSERT ADJECTIVE] etc.) to their friends.
Friday, October 12, 2012 45

46. Make It Easy For New Users
• Enable
authenccated
referrals
• Prompt
a
"lightweight"
quescon
or
interaccon
that
invites
response
• Then,
pull
them
deeper
Friday, October 12, 2012 46

47. SUMMARY
Successful
Timeline
apps
ac1vate
their
exiscng
user
base
to
write
high
quality
stories
that
drive
engagement
and
discovery
by
new
users.
New
users
create
stories
to
keep
the
loop
growing.
Friday, October 12, 2012 47

48. Remember
• Leverage
the
Untapped
Opportunity
• Always
Use
Behavioral
Insights
and
Trends
to
Make
Sure
It’s
the
Right
Fit
• Do
It
Well
-­‐
Or
Not
At
All
Friday, October 12, 2012 48

49. Thank you.
Lindsay Reene @GeekLindsay
Friday, October 12, 2012 49

50. Thank you.
Lindsay Reene @GeekLindsay
Friday, October 12, 2012 50

51. Appendix
Friday, October 12, 2012 51

52. Timeline Apps: Behind the Scenes
How
It
Works
•
Step
1:
Create
a
Facebook
app
•
Step
2:
Authenccate
users
with
the
Login
Bumon
plugin
•
Step
3:
Define
Objects,
Accons
and
Aggregacons
through
the
Developer
App
•
Step
4:
Publish
Accons
for
your
users
•
Step
5:
Add
Social
Plugins
to
your
app
•
Step
6:
Submit
Your
Accons
for
approval
Source:
Facebook
Friday, October 12, 2012 52

53. History of Open Graph
Facebook
Connect Social
Plug-­‐ins Applica1ons
Register
or
Login
Like
or
Share
outside
of
Advanced
interaccons
outside
of
Facebook Facebook via
Facebook
2010 2010 Ongoing
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