Since March I have slowly (but surely) been deleting every posts, check-in, tag, like, and photo from my Facebook. It has taken hours, nay days, to delete my presence on Facebook. I am not talking about “deactivating” my account – I mean 100% deleting my Facebook footprint. The plan was for me to delete everything I could and then post a short write-up about Facebook and why I quit. This was easier said than done. I won’t go into much detail but you cannot delete everything, Facebook won’t let you. And things you believed were deleted, sometimes they come back. But that is a story for a different time. This post is about WHY I quit Facebook. It is based on a somewhat paranoid vision of the future and the upcoming Initial Public Offering of the company who is using YOU for profit.

Let’s begin.

A Little Background

I am not against social media, in fact I had a blog on Xanga back in 2001. I have probably been blogging ever since and every so often deleting blogs the older I became because of the idiotic things I posted when I was filled with college angst and alcohol. I believe in the internet and connecting to people. I use Twitter everyday.

I also see the benefits of Facebook but for me the negatives began outweighing any good Facebook could bring to my life.

My Minds Connections

I am at that age (30) when my friends have started having babies. Baby photos started popping up on my Facebook a couple of years ago. Nothing too much to be concerned about, but lately its BabyFacebook. And I can deal with seeing a baby face every now and then. But I am not just seeing newborn photos I am seeing ultrasound images and videos on Facebook. Okay I get it, show your family… just don’t leave it public. But to be honest that wasn’t what disturbed me. What disturbed me was when I thought about my four nephews. Two of my nephews use Facebook. The 2 youngest nephews most likely will in the future. The two youngest are the ones I am worried about. There will literally be hundreds of photos of every single stage of their life on Facebook PRIOR to them ever even signing up for the service. And when they do signup their friends could potentially have access to those images. Scary. School is hard enough without having your parents bad taste, embarrassing vacation photos, and akward family portraits into the mix.

Now think about everything you have ever posted, every complaint, every political opinion, every single post… Is that a true representation of you? Now imagine a decade worth of information. Hopefully you have changed in that decade and have become a better person. Do you want individuals to read what you did in 2006? When I looked back on my posts from 2006 (this was when Facebook has “Your Name is…” in the status update) that is something I do not want my children to see. And now it is so easily accessible due to the new updated TimeLine layout.

FREE!? PSSSH!

Now you can say – that is par for course J.B. Its a FREE service allowing to share your memories with friends and families! First, it’s not free. They are selling your information to advertising companies to serve you ads. That is why when you get engaged, married, or post about a band on Facebook all of a sudden your advertisements center around that content. But more importantly is that over time Facebook will be able to pre-determine what ads to serve you based on your personal patterns.

When deleting every post for the past six years on my feed it became quite apparent of what I posted about, when I posted, and where I posted. Patterns emerged. And that’s when it hit me. I read a story in Forbes about how Target knew a young girl was pregnant before her parents. This was based on the patterns of many shoppers before her and what she was buying with her debit card. This is the holy grail for both advertisers, companies, and Facebook to show you what you need before you even need it.

Facebook makes most of its revenue from ads. Ads served to you based on the content of what you are posting about, where you are posting it, and when you are posting it. It won’t take long before patterns emerge about your activities that can be used to serve you ads about things you are about to do.

Why the IPO Matters

Here is why the IPO matters. Because one day Facebook will have to answer to investors about their revenue. That is what the IPO will do. I am sure Zuckerberg thinks he will rule with the iron fist of Steve Jobs… but I do not see that happening. Jobs for one innovated new markets, Facebook also doesn’t sell products it sells YOU. The only thing you have that they want is INFORMATION to sell to companies. So at some point in the future Facebook will have to make more money and to do that they will need you to give up privacy to better target ads.

Facsimile Relationships

I am convinced that Facebook is energy lost to real meaningful relationships with real human interaction and emotion. All feeling removed by the typeface Verdana in lieu of a hand written documents, facial expression, or speech. To hear a voice, see a smile, or to read a written word is to gain understanding of a person. Though we are more “connected” our emotional connections have been severed. It is a copy of a real relationship. Not as good as the original and never will be.

Think about the individuals that you used to have strong connections with. I would venture to say that you feel like you know what is going on in the lives of your friends via Facebook. Guess what… you don’t. What those friends post online is the “best face” they can. It is not “fake” per se, but rather a groomed version of their true lives. Selecting which photos best portray who they believe they are and how great their lives are. But behind those posts could be challenges in their lives, but how would you ever know? Your connection with them is a false-positive.

Final Thoughts

I know this is a hasty post but it summarizes all of my thoughts quickly. I will leave you with this.

Facebook acts as the “Fourth Wall” between you and real connections. Quit typing and start breaking down that wall. Call someone and have a real conversation. Behind that glossy screen might be someone who needs to hear a voice and for someone to listen.

I love your app “Cards” for my iPhone. I have used it a few times and it makes creating customized cards for my family and friends very easy! Plus, I don’t even have to go to the Post Office! Score!

But I do have one suggestion – hell, you can even steal this idea, I don’t care.

You need to add the ability to send a card with an iTunes/AppStore/Apple gift card inside. Did I just blow your mind? Did I just bring you one or two million bucks in one sentence? Maybe!

To me, you are leaving “money on the table” from people such as myself who would like to send cards to my four iPod Touch toting nephews with a gift card.

Also, keep up the good work!

Love,

J.B.

Warby Parker aligns their branded sales process around the company’s vision, action, expression, and experience. It is this alignment that creates brand advocates because it goes beyond the typical “sell-a-product” and engages the customer on an emotional level. Below are a few of my experiences with the brand that made me think twice of how companies can connect emotionally with customers.

The Website Helps You Choose

First, Warby Parker’s website is easily navigable. Its homepage layout is not ground-breaking but it does communicate all the brand messaging simply and directly to the user. The site is minimal, well-organized, and has an upscale look and feel.

The most customer-friendly feature is the shop filtering system and the way it educates buyers on how to choose frame styles in respect to face shape. I would venture to say 99% of consumers do not know the tips and tricks of selecting glasses to properly fit their face. On Warby Parker’s website the glasses can be filtered by face shape (heart, oval, round, and square) and width (medium, narrow, and wide), allowing the customer to select frames that should complement the shape of their face.

The lesson one can learn from Warby Parker is to help your customers make choices through recommendation. These recommendations were not to add products to my shopping cart, but to help me select a product that matches my physical characteristics.

There is a distinct difference between trying to up-sell a customer and trying to help a customer. Which do you think leads to brand advocacy?

The “Home Try-On”

I opted for the “Home Try-On” which allows you to test five pairs of frames with non-prescription lenses for free with a credit card number. (Note: If you do not send them back you are charged for the five frames.)

Participating in this program is an opportunity to have your family and friends give you feedback over five days with five separate pairs of frames. This part of the sales process was crucial for me to invest the money into the product. I wore two pair of frames I preferred for a couple days. My wife, friends and co-workers were able to give me honest feedback that helped me choose the pair I eventually purchased.

Some companies have free returns and shipping to help e-commerce consumers over the pyschological hump of not being able to touch and feel a product. While Warby Parker is available at a few boutiques across the country, the “Home Try-On” empowers consumers across the US to make an educated decision without having to ever visit a brick-and-mortar store.

Again, Warby Parker is not telling you what to buy, they are helping you make a decision.

Making consumers feel empowered builds brand loyalty.

Warby Parker Gets Human

I ordered my glasses and decided to Tweet about it. In response Warby Parker posted this YouTube Video:

After ordering my glasses I received word that they had shipped so I tweeted about it.

“Just found out my @WarbyParker order just shipped. Word.”

Approximately 30 minutes later I received a reply from the @WarbyParker account in the form of a YouTube video you can see below.

These videos put a face to Warby Parker. There was a person – a real, living human behind all of this! Not only that, but they were making sure I was happy and engaging me in the sales process beyond the website.

It was fresh relief to the robotic nature of the Amazon experience. After receiving this, guess what I did? I retweeted the message to my followers.

Showing your human side is important as we become more connected technologically and disconnected emotionally. I believe Warby Parker hit on an important part of the sales experience that is typically missing in e-commerce – the human face of a brand and how that builds trust.

Helping Those In Need

Warby Parker is doing for glasses what TOMS did for shoes. Each time you buy a pair of glasses Warby Parker provides funding to help organizations give optical reading glasses to those who need them. They also fund opportunities to train individuals to sell glasses in their community thereby helping people with better sight and creating entrepreneurs who can help themselves.

Finding a way to help people beyond your costumer in the business model will be essential business practice in the next decade. It brings a heavier, worldly meaning to your identity, mission and brand.

So ask yourself “What is your mission and how can you help bring that mission to others in need.”

The Final Product

I received my glasses a few weeks later and they are of high finish and great build quality. They are stylish. They are distinct. They are worth every penny of the $95 dollars and more. That is right. $95 Dollars.

Final Thoughts

I was so impressed by the experience with Warby Parker it actually changed the way I viewed what e-commerce could be. This sales experience was far beyond that of the typical online retailer. The website, the “Home Try-On”, the interactions, the social awareness, and the product were aligned. And if you look at what builds the brand – vision, action, expression, and experience – they hit a home-run on every single at-bat.

Each experience builds off of the other. Together they create a lasting impressions and foster positive feelings that serve the company’s AND the customer’s brand.

I leave you with these thoughts:

J.B. Chaykowsky specializes in building brands, culture, and experiences with design. Primarily working in the built environment executing branded environments and experiences, J.B. has worked on projects domestically and abroad. He is also obsessed with the processes in which creatives develop, execute, and sell ideas. He can be followed here on twitter @jbchaykowsky. He lives in Dallas, Texas with his beautiful wife Kelly and their amazingly, awesome Chi-Pom pup named Pippa.