Ballmer Doesn’t Get Facebook, Duh …

Writing by Nick Stamoulis Tweet

Robert Scoble is dissing Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer in today’s WebProNews:

Don’t miss this quote. It’s demonstrates everything that is wrong with Microsoft’s approach:

“There can’t be any more deep technology in Facebook than what dozens of people could write in a couple of years. That’s for sure,” Ballmer said.

OK, I’m with Scoble on this one. Ballmer clearly doesn’t have a clue about social marketing. Facebook is the schiznit (did I spell that right?). And it doesn’t matter whether you think MSN has a clue about search. This isn’t about search. It’s about Microsoft’s inability to cash in on Web marketing. Sure, they’ve done OK, but they do own the third largest search engine – not the first, not the second, the third. Then one of their top execs comes out and compares Facebook with Geocities? Come on, that’s not even close.

It could be a generational thing. What is Ballmer, over 50 now? Too old to dance. Might throw a hip out. And if he logs on for too long on a social network he might scare all the young ladies into hanging out at the library instead. Come on, Steve. Geocities? If you had said Blogspot was like Geocities, that would have made sense. But Facebook? Do you even know what Facebook is?

Online Advertising vs. Social Marketing

There’s a huge difference between advertising and marketing. Advertising is paying money for space or time. Marketing is sharing, talking, communicating. It’s a back and forth. Advertising is a one-way street. That’s why Microsoft is still stuck in the past. That’s likely why Scoble isn’t there any more. Ballmer didn’t get blogging and he doesn’t get social marketing either. It looks like the only thing he does get is an oversized paycheck.

I encourage all my readers to join the conversation, or start one. What do you like about Facebook? How is it different than advertising? Should the search engines develop relationships with the social networking websites? If so, how?