Monday, February 16, 2015

Will Facebook's Amber Alert Feature Draw In Online Marketing Firms?

By Paula Hess


For those who do not know, Amber Alert is a system that is designed for the purpose of alerting the public of child abduction cases. While this came into being in 1996, it has since been integrated into a number of websites, Google included. However, what if I were to tell you that Facebook would soon be making use out of them? It's a tremendous point to cover and it's one that, in my view, online marketing companies may be drawn in by.

Facebook will soon be working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, allowing Amber Alerts to be sent through the social media page. Specifically, messages will be tailored to individuals based on the locations given on their profiles. What this means is that messages given to New Yorkers will not be the same as those given to New Jersey residents. In the words of Emily Vacher, who serves as Facebook Security, Trust and Safety Manager, the social media channel will become, "...the world's largest neighborhood watch."

There will also be quite a bit of detail given to these alerts. Some of the points of detail will include - but will not necessarily be limited to - license plate numbers of vehicles and photographs of abducted children. To say that these elements will help to make the tracking down of abducted children easier would be nothing short of an understatement. When everyone has the same degree of know-how, it's easy to see that work will be done with greater ease.

I believe that this story should reach the attention of various online marketing firms. One of the reasons for this is social interaction, as users who are given Amber Alerts will be encouraged to share out this information with others, regardless of their locations. After all, it's easy to assume that a child abduction case will not exist solely in the area where it occurred. A broader degree of networking will be required, as supported by companies along the lines of fishbat.

The truth of the matter is that Amber Alerts are serious, which only makes this story involving Facebook that much more information. Child abduction cases garner tremendous amounts of news but there are many readers who ask the question, "What can I do to help?" I believe that it's important to focus on how these alerts are given and, potentially, the ways in which they are shared. Only then will a story such as this prove to have long-term benefits.




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