The world’s leading social networking site is teaming up with a top search engine–a move that will once again change the face of social media and Internet marketing. According to an Internet Retailer report by Zak Stambor, Microsoft Corp.’s Bing “has announced that it will tailor a consumer’s search results based on his Facebook friends, as well as data from the collective Facebook network.”In the article, Bing’s senior vice president, Yusuf Mehdi, explained that this Facebook integration is “intricately tied to shopping.” According to a survey conducted by Bing and Impulse Research, more or less 90% of consumers ask family and friends for advice before making a purchase decision. The same survey reveals that 80% of consumers will wait for a friend’s approval before finally buying an item.
Customers who use this new shopping search by Bing can click on a new tab called “Help Me Decide” which features the Facebook logo. Clicking on this tab will allow the user to publish the items on his shopping list on his Facebook page. A downloadable tool called Bing bar featuring a universal Facebook like button will also be available for customers so that they can note that they “like” something whether a Like button is on the page.
This bold move by Bing follows Google Inc.’s +1–a social recommendation tool that allows web users to indicate that they like a particular Google search result. The article further notes that this move by the search engine giant is a sign that the company is also expanding its horizons to include social media marketing.
