It is no secret I am not a huge Facebook Fan. It is not that I don’t understand FB or use it, for both I do. However for a social networking site it is too clickish and for business networking, at best, is questionable on it worthiness for a ROI on time spent.   Many will attempt to classify my attitude towards FB as generational but in fact it is more reflective of the attitude people have who reside on FB and have been on FB since their birth..in some cases almost literally.

I have nothing against the FB platform.  It is very sound, robust and far more capable than many of the other social sites. I can over look the lame applications that are allowed to be used on FB.   However, what I find as the biggest turn off is how a growing number of people are using FB.  That generates hundreds of questions I have and my clients have who come to me for answers on how FB fits into their business plan.

You Can See But Don’t Touch

Over the past year I have had a number of business golfers offer me their business card where they proudly display their Facebook username and even the FB logo.  You would think that with their username displayed on a basic business tool that it would be something they encourage people to contact them thru or used to invite you to find them on Facebook and become part of their FB community…wrong. 

In most of those cases when I reached out to these business people to ask if they wanted to be a Friend on my FB page they reply with…

“Sorry, I only use FB to connect with family and (yes..they put this in the remark) close friends”

…hummm..then why did they give me the business card..why is their profile listed in the search on FB? 

I found it interesting in the few debates I have had with others on this issue that this policy these misguide people use is widespread with many users of FB.  Again, FB is capable of holding someone’s FB page private, but why offer the contact information if it is private?  That is just the basic question I ask.  I am sure you have as many as I do, but go figure..that is one of the problems many business people have with Facebook.  There is not business networking..that anyone I have talked to can find.  So why are businesses on FB?

Play-Like Golfer

Since my first step onto Facebook in 2006 I have been just astonished with how many of the FB users are on the site to see how popular they can become.  Given the history of where FB was developed and who FB was developed for is it is no wonder there are so many clicks within Facebook.  This drive the ‘Look-at-me’ people have on FB has nurtured a culture of users who fee they need to be popular with complete strangers because they more than likely lack popularity within their family unit.  This instinct to be popular just gets stronger as more people sign on to their FB page or Fan page.  Many who sign on just so their avatar of them jumping thru the air can be displayed.

Naturally this trend towards feeling the need to have to be popular to be someone quickly moved to be the focus of how most people use Twitter which back then as it is now is a huge failure. 

My initial mission for joining Facebook was to reach out to golfers and the golf communities housed in FB to find likeminded people to discuss the issues that are causing the interest in golf to wane.  From the beginning of my existence on FB until today I found that over 80% of the people I have met on Facebook who say they golf are really not golfers.  

They placed golf in their FB profile in hopes to hook up with a golfer since, what I have learn is their thinking is, golfers’ are more probable to have a higher income that makes them more marry-able or at the very least can afford to be dateable. Yep, the old Gold-digger days are still out there..

In some of the offline debates and discussions I have with a cross section of generations I found it interesting how many of these pretenders were taught by their parents to hunt for golfers to have social and business relationships purely because of the adage..

“..if they an afford to play golf all of the time they must have pockets full of money”

This same sentiment is held with business marketing firms who recommend to non-golfers to set up golf themed groups on FB for the soul  intent to draw in golfers and golfing business owners since they are hallmarks for a higher income demographic.

This Dog Won’t Hunt

So, after four years of being out on FB I have concluded the number of Real Golfers..people who actually play golf, who are residing primarily on Facebook, is probably larger than can be validated through a simple search, but they are scattered all over the site pursuing aimless quests for something…what?..wtfk’s. Hopefully they find me and join the Business Golf Country Club so they can find purpose for being online.

Unfortunately the questions about Facebook continue…   I am asked if I am on Facebook?  Yes, I personally am on Facebook and the Business Golf Country Club has a page on Facebook.  Why? I guess it would seem I want to be popular but really I am on Facebook offering those lost over there and who really play golf a place to go. 

Does Facebook serve any business purpose? Does being on Facebook result in producing any revenue for a business?  Does being on Facebook draw in any real golfers…to answer all of these questions.. and as far as Facebook as an effective business networking site?…Well,…simply put… that dog won’t hunt.

Let me know how I can help.