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Facebook is one of the biggest tech companies around today, and it keeps
pushing for more. I call it a “tech company,” not a social media company,
because despite Facebook’s primary function as a social media platform, its
functionality has expanded and its presence has increased to a level that is
now starting to rival more diverse, ubiquitous companies like Apple,
Microsoft, and Google. Google, with its unrivaled search engine and
breakthroughs in many different areas, is probably the player to beat in the
tech scene, and after nearly a decade of running the show, it may have a
new, worthy competitor.
Facebook is paving a way forward with innovation and rigorous development.
While many of its most forward-thinking functions are still in their infancy, it’s
realistic that the company can and will grow to become the dominant force on
the scene—and within a short timeframe, too.
Take, for instance, these five ways that Facebook could threaten Google’s
position, all of which are entirely achievable by 2020:
1. Developing Its Own Search Engine. Debuting back in May, Facebook
subtly introduced a new in-app search feature. Up until late last year, users
could use a Bing-powered system to sort through old conversations with
friends on the system. However, after breaking the partnership with Bing and
introducing its own intra-app search feature, Facebook unveiled an even
newer, more powerful search feature. When making a post in the mobile app,
users can search for a link to include in the body of the post—for example, if
you’re referencing a specific article, you can use this feature to bring it up
rather than relying on a separate Google search app or something similar.
Currently, the search function is limited in capability and only subtly displayed
to users. However, Facebook could have plans to roll out a larger, more
robust version as it grows more complex in the next few years.
2. Offering Its Own News. Facebook realized something profound recently.
Some news articles were getting more clicks from social shares on the
platform than they were in direct visits, site browsing, or Google searches
combined. So they developed a new way to address this phenomenon:
Facebook Instant Articles. Rather than publishing off-site and relying on
syndication links to attract more traffic, publishers can now feature their work
directly and fully on Facebook. Theoretically, this could result in more
engagement (since people no longer have to click through to read the rest of
the article), but this already poses a serious threat to both Google News and
typical Google search results. Why would users go out looking for news when
it populates their Facebook newsfeeds automatically based on their
preferences?
3. Understanding Its Population Better. Speaking of user preferences,
Facebook has always held a secret weapon in its loose competition against
Google: deep user knowledge. Google can probably map out your search
history and speculate your intentions with certain queries, but Facebook
knows how you speak to people. It knows all your friends. It knows your
favorite bands and movies, too. And it’s getting better at aggregating this
information, learning from it, and applying it in meaningful ways.
4. Offering Better, Cheaper Advertising. Facebook ads already have a brilliant
interface with in-depth metric analysis tools and excellent resources for
planning your campaign. Combined with the fact that placing these ads is
generally less expensive than placing a similar ad through Google AdWords,
it’s no wonder why Facebook ad spending is growing. As Facebook
continues to learn more about its population, offer more tools for potential
advertisers, and become better known as a digital advertising authority,
Google may hit a serious obstacle. Today, Google and Facebook advertising
are fairly comparable. In the near future, Facebook may be objectively
superior, with better reach, better insights, and fewer expenses.
Recommended by Forbes
5. Universal Internet. While not as relevant to the average consumer, Google
and Facebook are already racing in one key application—the provision of
free Internet to the entire world. Between Google’s Project Loon and
Facebook’s Internet.org, both companies are desperate to get the edge on
the next great connectivity revolution. Offering Internet for free may not seem
like the most profitable venture for either company, but there’s great brand
power to earn from being the first one to offer it. Here, Facebook is already
competing with Google, but it will be a few years before we learn who gets
there first.
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