As if Facebook wasn’t addictive enough, Mark Zuckerberg and friends are looking to suck us in even more with a new iPhone application (Android and iPad versions are said to be coming later) called Paper. Think of it as a mix between a newsreader like Flipboard and Facebook itself.
Paper in action.
It’s meant to be a new way to “explore and share stories from friends and the world around you.” It’s all about the visual presentation here, as Paper’s Facebook section focuses on your News Feed, Timeline, and stories from around the web (related to categories you’ve chosen) and turns them into photo- and video-rich features with an enticing user interface.
Introducing Paper from Facebook on Vimeo.
If Paper succeeds and becomes “a thing” as they say and gains mainstream adoption, it will surely take some time. But that doesn’t mean now isn’t a good opportunity to examine the app for its content marketing capabilities. With more emphasis than ever on quality content, Paper has the potential to be a significant medium through which multimedia messages can be told.
Facebook’s steady march in-step with native advertising goes hand-in-hand with Paper. A restaurant can put up an amazing picture of its signature Ahi tuna appetizer with a brief description, then promote it in the Food section of Paper, which compiles A-list food-related content from across the Web. Of course for the time being, there are no ads on Paper, but we don’t expect that to last too long.
We’d eat that.
So what does all this mean? We see it as just another chance to promote your brand and what makes it unique. Can a story, picture, or video related to your business entertain someone? Move them? Make them laugh?
Facebook Paper is offering a new canvas for you to paint on and make people remember you. It’s time to grab your brush.