Facebook has made quite a few changes as of late. First, Facebook “Deals” was introduced early last week – a huge game changer for businesses who want to build loyalty and drive business by rewarding customers with discounts and other special offers.
This Monday, however, Facebook announced the launch of a modern messaging system that merges e-mail, SMS and other messaging services. “Facebook Mail,” as some called it, will also include @facebook.com e-mail addresses. Now, Facebook is already becoming the largest website in the world, but with the introduction of “Messages,” there is a likely possibility that Facebook will eventually supplant Google’s Gmail.
About Facebook Messages
“Messages has always been the place for private exchanges on Facebook, and this won’t change. With the new Messages, now you have easy access to all your private conversations with your friends in one place. The new Messages interface not only displays the Facebook messages you exchange with friends, but it also interweaves your chats, texts and emails, should you choose to create an @facebook.com address. It’s a central place to control all of your private communication, both on and off Facebook. Now when you view a conversation, you’re actually looking at a complete history of all the communication you’ve shared with that person on Facebook — it’s like having an ongoing record of your friendship.”
New Features Include:
Faster Interaction: You can send messages just by hitting your return (or enter) key, so the new Messages is as fast and informal as an in-person conversation. Messages are sent as quickly as possible — if a user is online, the message will be sent as an instant message.
Integrated Communication: No matter what you’re using to communicate, (Facebook.com, SMS or email) your conversations stream seamlessly into one place. Your messages are included as part of ongoing conversations, meaning all conversation history is saved in one medium.
Smart Filtering: You’ll always see what’s important to you first — messages from the people you’re close to take precedence over mailing lists.
Group Conversations: Join a ‘group conversation’ with two ore more friends. If you wish to leave the conversation, you can unsubscribe. Friends will be notified that you left and you will no longer receive messages from that conversation.
This fluid mix of various conversation platforms merging texting, IM and e-mail, makes it more of a ‘conversational’ interaction than the ‘conversation’ style message threads on Gmail, though Zuckerberg “doesn’t expect anybody to shut down their other e-mail accounts and shift exclusively to Facebook.”
Check out the Facebook Help Center for more information on Facebook Messages. The platform is currently by invite-only. Click here to request an invite.
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