Need a Nudge?

Facebook has won the social network wars by understanding the "nudge" theory better than its peers. Facebook is tenaciously nudging its customer base in order to provide a more robust and engaging experience.

Hall of Fame Facebook nudges:

• Friend's feeds,


• Friend suggestions; and


• Invite all friends to install new fbook apps.
  

Facebook has also overnudged with its controversial and unpopular "beacon" program.

Facebook customers have been surprisingly receptive to privacy compromising features. The reason that beacon was not well received is that it violated a basic tenet of the nudge agreement. A nudger must provide the nudgee a positive benefit from the proposed nudge.

When a nudge is implemented, there will always be a level of mistrust and anger from a percentage of the nudged. Before nudging, a nudger should be confident that a high majority of the nudged will be ok with nudge, and that a significant percentage of the nudged perceive a high value from the nudge.

Without nudges, there would be significantly less innovation and progression in general. For one, Facebook would have a significantly slower growth and engagement rate without its nudge innovations. Imagine a Facebook without the ability to throw sheep at your college hallmates. Happy nudging Mark.