When Facebook first launched its platform and APIs, developers clamored to build consumer applications, such as playing Scrabble, sharing photos, and “super-poking.” Clara changed this when over a few days she developed Faceconnector (formerly Faceforce), the first enterprise social networking mashup that pulls Facebook profile and friend data real-time into Salesforce CRM. Clara had the vision that the next generation of enterprise software won’t be about software at all. It will be about people and relationships, and social networking sites by design are all about relationships. Clara’s breakthrough idea was that using Facebook, business professionals could get to know the person behind the name and title, and thereby build a larger number of richer, more personal, and longer-lasting business relationships with customers, prospects, business partners, and colleagues.
Developers have taken notice and are following Clara’s example in “mashing up” business with consumer social networking sites. It’s a good thing, too, because times are changing. Increasingly, graduating college students entering the workforce and starting to take on leadership positions are shunning “antiquated” email systems. (They say it’s only for grown-ups.) They all use Facebook. Social networking and collaboration have become the expectation. They will be frustrated and unproductive, and even reject, business applications that don’t offer these features. Clara believes that five years from now, no enterprise application—CRM, recruiting, email—won’t be integrated with the social graph. She’s right.
Recently, we announced a partnership with Facebook, led by Clara. Force.com for Facebook makes it easy for Facebook developers to build enterprise social apps on Force.com’s global trusted enterprise infrastructure. At salesforce.com, we’ve spent the last ten years building out enterprise-grade functionality like workflow, security, multi-language and multi-currency, and integration services “in the cloud” so that developers can focus on innovation, not infrastructure. Both Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook, and I believe that this partnership will enable a whole new class of business applications inside Facebook, such as truly social CRM.
Video:Using Facebook to Grow Your Business - February 2 2010 (Registration Required)
This webcast features Facebook trends and stats, specific examples and tips for SMBs, and a case study from an Allstate insurance agent who has embraced Facebook for his business's marketing and customer service efforts.
Podcast:Clara Shih on the Facebook Era - Wealth Success & Women, September 2009
The Author of the Facebook Era, Clara Shih, offers social networking tips from her experience with AppExchange, Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce.
Video:How Facebook Ads Target Users - August 2009
Marketing expert Clara Shih explains how marketers utilize Facebook to target advertising. She demonstrates how to target ads to a specific demographic based on age, gender or any other information included on a user's profile.
Podcast: Employee Engagement in the Facebook Era: An Interview with Clara Shih - May 2009
Clara Shih talks about her new book and what facebook and twitter mean for business and specifically, what they mean for employee engagement.
Video:Social Enterprise Software Design - April 2009
The Emergence of ubiquitous persistent online identity, social graph, and feeds are fundamentally transforming individuals' behavior, expectations and experience across the Web. Clara Shih, creator of the first business application on Facebook, talks about her application and what the World Wide Web of people means for interaction, relationships and enterprise software design.
Podcast: Clara Shih on the cutting edge of using social networks for business - March 2009
Article:Understanding The Facebook Era - April 2009
In this guest post on the Facebook Developer Blog, Clara challenges the developer community to think strategically about the kinds of applications that can be built for the Facebook ecosystem.
Video: Clara Shih shares her personal experiences with Women 2.0. - March 2009
She talks about the importance of mentors and role models, how immigration is similar to entrepreneurship, and her experience of writing a book.
Clara Shih