Thus Spaketh Idd Salim

Everyone is on Facebook. Right.

I know. Facebook this, Facebook that. It is not uncommon to hear people in the streets, club or classes blurt, “Everyone if on Facebook. if you ain’t in, you ain’t cool. You are nyumaz like dubbz”. I always retort, “Everyone in your small world, maybe”.

Such is the ignorance.

“So, Salim”, you ask, “What is your beef with Facebook now?” Sincerely, nothing. Really. Nothing. Facebook is big. No wonder most Kenyan bloggers touch themselves all over at the mention of FB or Mark. FB could be 1Billion users+ had China not been run like someone’s house. But that is as far as the story goes.

Facebook recently, FINALLY, reached 1M people, In Kenya. As at 12:52:00 today, Facebook had 1, 005, 400 Kenyans between the age of 13 and above. Between 18 and above is 932, 000. All poking, blocking and NKTing each other. Amazing, right? Yeah.

Kenya has an Internet population of 6.5 M people (September 2010. Maybe 7m now?? Orange Internet anyone?). So, this means that :

Only 15.4 percent of Kenyans who CAN be on Facebook, Actually. Are. 84.6% are waiting for YOU. And Me. These are the ones that wameingia, wakaona, wakatoka… or just aren’t bothered. What does FB lack that Kenyans are Addicted to? My 2 cents.

1. Group Chat

Go to 2Go, Yahoo Chat, Mashada etc. Full of chatters. FB, understandably due to the XMPP load on MUCs, have decided Not to add this feature. Kenyans like feeling important. and where else can you do that than a chat-room where you can go and live in utopia, call yourself 7-InchTed or SameSizeBoobs without flinching, whilst you know you are lying?

One-one-one chat does not give the Kenyan Egos the nourishment they need.

2. Personalization

I know. MySpace tried this and it brought clatter and mayhem. But we want it. A blue profile page for EVERYONE isn’t cool. I like Green. Can my profile page be green, Please?

The opportunity

If your balls are as big, round and smooth as mine, this comes as good news. Local Content is NOT YET online. Some small amount is. Content + Context = King. Content is King, but context is queen. And she decides when atageiana.

FB Ads brings in the concept of context well. But FB Ads are only available on Web. 4M of the 6.5M Kenyans are Mobile Internet Users.

If you haven’t seen the opportunity in those words, then endelea kuskuma VB.

Back to code.

Wazi.