When Mark Zuckerberg launched TheFacebook.com in February 2004, he sought to make an online platform for his Harvard peers to connect on. Little could he have known that what began as a simple social network for college students carved out of college directories and profiles would eventually be a global phenomenon. Yet 13 years later, in 2017, Facebook boasts over 2 billion monthly active users and is the most popular social networking site in the world. In August 2005, exactly one year after launching, Zuckerberg changed the name of TheFacebook to the now famous and widely recognised ‘Facebook’.
TheFacebook originally existed within the university domain as a service to connect registered Harvard students with each other. As subsequent universities joined TheFacebook, domain names were created such as thefacebook.yale.edu and thefacebook.stanford.edu. According to sources close to the situation, such as senior Facebook executive Dan Rose, the most likely reason for the name change was to solidify the brand. Marketing and branding experts suggest that TheFacebook had a slightly negative connotation due to it being associated with the Harvard domain, implying an exclusivity that would have inhibited Facebook’s ability to make real waves in the tech industry. Shortening the name to Facebook and being untethered from a university domain, allowed for a much Greater scaling of the venture.
Obtaining a short and memorable name was also key. In such a competitive market, it was paramount that the new name was easy to use, access and remember. Such requirements are essential for maximising adoption of the service, particularly given that most users sign up and access the platform via a URL. Facebook’s five-letter name fits into the memory capacity of most individuals more readily than the longer TheFacebook. The recognisability of the name is reinforced by the now famous F-like logo, which was also adopted in 2005. Memes aside, the Wikipedia entry for the company notes that Facebook’s brand represents “the friendship and emotional connection between people”.
In a 2011 “Q & A” session on the website, Zuckerberg himself wrote that “simplifying the name from TheFacebook to just Facebook made it easier for people to find and use the site, and gave it a less college-y feel.” It is evident then, that the move to the shorter Facebook name was in fact done for key business benefits. This suggests that, rather than discounting longer names as a general rule, Mark Zuckerberg’s approach to naming Facebook was in fact led by informed reasoning based on the given circumstances. His clear ability to understand the implications of a name’s length was integral for success in ensuring long-term benefits for the company.
Scope of the Marketplace
Facebook made big waves when, in 2007, the company introduced several new products including, News Feed, which collates links, photos, comments and users’ activities; and Facebook Marketplace, which various brands can use to advertise their products and services. The Marketplace allows smaller businesses to widen their reach beyond their normal boundaries, giving them access to more customers around the world. Furthermore, with the right strategy, smaller companies can use the Marketplace and Facebook Ads to compete with the big brands.
Using the Marketplace can be really advantageous for businesses of all shapes and sizes. With the ability to target users based on demographics, interests, age, and location, companies can tailor their ads to the people that are most likely to buy their products and services. This ensures that their campaigns are working as hard and efficiently as possible, increasing the chances of a successful outcome.
Angela Smith, a former marketer at eBay, speaks of the advantages the Marketplace offers: “Facebook Marketplace lets companies effectively target their ads to the right people, with the right message, at the right time. This ensures that companies get the most out of their campaigns and drive as much traffic and sales as possible.”
With the Marketplace, Facebook’s mission to give business owners more control over their businesses becomes even more relevant. From parenting a campaign from start to finish to tracking analytics, the Marketplace allows businesses to stay in control and make sure their campaigns are working to the best of their ability. In the digital age, the efficient targeting and reach of a platform like Facebook is invaluable.
Impact of the Changes
The name change precipitated a huge shift in the way people viewed Facebook and paved the way for the huge success it enjoys today. The shift to Facebook, as well as Zuckerberg’s decision to make the platform available to anyone with a valid email address, opened many new opportunities for the future of the platform. For example, no longer was it simply being used by Harvard Students, but rather, it was available to anyone. With more people joining the platform, it became more mainstream and began to grow exponentially.
In addition to the change in name, the platform also underwent a dramatic visual overhaul. In 2010, Facebook launched its Timeline feature, which essentially replaced the standard profile page and allows users to document their lives with photos, posts, and other information. This was the biggest visual change that Facebook had seen since the transition from TheFacebook to Facebook. This new layout has allowed for increased customization and easier navigation for users, which in turn has enabled the platform to continue its meteoric rise.
The remaking of the platform was also done to allow for better mobile accessibility. This meant that users no longer had to be tied to a computer to access the platform. With mobile devices becoming increasingly popular, Zuckerberg saw the importance of ensuring that Facebook could be accessed from anywhere in the world. This is why the platform underwent a series of design changes to make it easier to use on mobile devices.
Driving Brand Awareness
Facebook also established an awards program in 2007, which was designed to reward users who were the most creative and informative in their posts. The program was designed to encourage users to post more frequently, while also building trust and credibility in the platform. This was a key step in building brand awareness and helping to spread the word about Facebook.
Facebook also began to invest more heavily in advertising in 2011, with the launch of its Facebook Ads program. With the Ads program, businesses have been given the opportunity to reach more potential customers than ever before. This has been a hugely successful move and has allowed the platform to become an even more important tool for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
The power of advertising on the platform has also been leveraged by Mark Zuckerberg and his team, to promote a number of initiatives. This includes the launch of Facebook Live, which has been an incredibly successful move for the company, allowing for users to stream their lives to all of their friends and followers. This feature has been a key component in driving brand awareness and providing users with an easier way to share their thoughts and experiences.
Success of the Rebranding
The rebranding of TheFacebook to Facebook has been an extremely successful move. The company has been transformed from a college website to a global phenomenon. As of March 2021, the platform was on track to be one of the first tech companies to reach a billion users. This incredible success is a testament to Mark Zuckerberg’s vision and his ability to adapt the platform to suit the ever-changing digital landscape.
Beyond its own timeline, Facebook has also been successful in connecting different social networks to the platform. Through its own platform and services such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Oculus, Facebook has been able to create a powerful ecosystem for its users. This has allowed for users to stay connected to their friends, family, and even to the wider world, all at the touch of a button.
Though it was only 13 years ago that Mark Zuckerberg changed the name of his startup from TheFacebook to Facebook, the impact has been truly remarkable. The success of this rebranding has enabled the platform to become an integral part of the digital landscape, while also playing a crucial role in the lives of people all over the world.
Reaching a Global Audience
When it comes to services and platforms, being able to reach a global audience is hugely important for success. Facebook has done this spectacularly well, allowing for people from locations all around the world to connect and interact on the platform. This has been achieved through changing the name from TheFacebook to simply Facebook, as it allows for easier recognition and understanding of the platform by users around the world.
This gives people the ability to gain a better understanding of the platform, while also creating a sense of unity amongst users. It also helps to give users a sense of belonging to a community, with more people on the platform being able to connect with each other. This is something that Facebook has been able to capitalise on, with an increasing percentage of users living outside of the U.S since 2005.
This global success is thanks in great part to Facebook’s translation efforts, which enables users to interact with content in their own language. This effort was spearheaded in 2010 when Facebook launched Facebook Translate, in order to allow people to communicate on the platform in their native language. This effort has been incredibly successful, with more than 450 million users now engaging with the platform in languages other than English.
Strengthening Communal Ties
One key factor in the success of rebranding to Facebook was Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of strengthening communal ties across the globe. Facebook’s mission has always been to ‘give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together’, and it is clear to see that this is the mantra which has informed the platform’s strategies since its launch in 2004. This focus on creating a digital space which would connect people of all different backgrounds has been a major factor in the platform’s success.
The launch of Facebook events, in 2012, was a key strategic decision designed to encourage people to connect and interact with each other in person. Through the events feature, users are able to create and manage occasions that others can join, such as birthday celebrations and study groups. This has enabled many more people to come together in person, and enjoy activities that otherwise might not have been possible.
More recently, Facebook has also been encouraging people to connect and interact with each other through its Messenger Rooms feature. Through this feature people can create group video chats, which allow for up to 50 people to join at once. This has been a great addition to the platform, and has been essential in helping people to stay connected during such difficult times.
Enabling Self-Expression
Facebook has also been successful in allowing users to express themselves on the platform through its various features. The launch of profile pages in 2007, made it possible for people to put up information about themselves, as well as photos and videos. Through the profile pages, people were encouraged to share stories and experiences, enabling them to not just connect with others, but also to build their personal brand.
Since then, Facebook has created a number of other avenues to allow people to express themselves and create an online presence. This includes the popular ‘Like’ button, which was launched in 2009, enabling users to publicly show their appreciation and support of others’ posts and activities. This has been useful for businesses and helps to create a real connection and dialogue between customers and brands.
Facebook has also enabled self expression through its Stories feature. Launched in 2017, it has enabled users to post short videos and photoshoots which disappear after 24 hours. This has allowed for people to be more creative, as well as to feel more secure about sharing personal moments. Furthermore, this feature has been valuable for businesses, in allowing them to better engage and connect with their customers.
