Built in ‘Facebook Like’ for integrated mobile apps

Continuing from my last article on Facebook’s big boost towards exploring mobile markets, this article will focus upon Built in ‘ Facebook Like ’ for integrated mobile apps.  Last time I talked about one of the most recent developments at Facebook with its product on location based Mobile Ad Product. A product that will allow brands and institutions to reach out to users with real-time data showing their whereabouts. Now everyone who’s using Apple iPhones, iPads or Android devices are weary of the sensitivity Location services being turned on brings with itself.

So going along the same lines, recently Facebook announced a new built-in “Facebook Like” feature for its open graph integrated partners. Now it will allow mobile developers with third party apps to share “Likes” or their version of “Likes” from apps on mobile devices with facebook’s website.

It isn’t as complicated as it looks like. Let me try and explain that to you.

Facebook's Open Graph

Let’s say you are browsing your mobile photo feed on your ‘New Foursquare’, Instagram or Tumblr app.  If this application is integrated with the Facebook’s open graph and you decided to ‘Like’ that picture from within that App, the action will show up on the Ticker on Facebook. While you do that, the friend whose picture you’ve liked will receive a notification on his Facebook timeline.

Not so complicated after all, yes? While integration is a really great feature, this is something Facebook should have started working on a long time ago. But as always, better late than never. Most importantly it’s a great thing for developers whose applications are very popularly used on mobile devices. All the “Likes” from phones were not showing up in the ticker before, but now, as long as you allow the app to publish that “Like” action on Facebook, those actions will flood the highly visible real estate on the ticker and the News Feed. Certainly since visibility is important for facebook developers, this is key, especially on a platform like Facebook. In the extremely crowded marketplaces that are Apple’s App Store and Google Play, it’s difficult for an upstart mobile application to get noticed.

So all in all. this is another way for facebook to ensure that a lot of mobile developers are attracted to Facebook and integrate their apps with the Open Graph of facebook.  While it’s a great move and it might just work for mobile developers and other developers alike, how will it come across from a user perspective is something we still need to figure out. What do you think?

Featured Image courtesy ANDALIB