Facebook is testing an app just for celebrities and high-profile figures, designed to help them manage their public persona, according to a news report. AllThingsD reports that the VIP-only mobile app would help the famous reach out to fans, monitor their feedback, and respond quickly to “become part of the conversation”. The app lets famous […]
Facebook is testing an app just for celebrities and high-profile figures, designed to help them manage their public persona, according to a news report.
AllThingsD reports that the VIP-only mobile app would help the famous reach out to fans, monitor their feedback, and respond quickly to “become part of the conversation”.
The app lets famous people – or their managers – have conversations with their fans through the social networking site, as it now is on Twitter. If a star writes a status or posts a photo which generates a large amount of feedback among fans, the app will make it easier for them to see the comments that are being generated.
The site has so far not revealed exactly how the VIP app would work in practice.
“We are currently testing some mobile features designed to help public figures interact with their fans,” a Facebook spokesperson told the digital news website AllThingsD.
Facebook have since confirmed the app’s existence, saying: “We are currently testing some mobile features designed to help public figures interact with their fans. We are testing these features with a small group of partners and will share more details should we roll it out more widely.”
The new app would help Facebook to compete with the likes of Instagram and Twitter; social networks which make it easy for interactions between fans and the public to be monitored and that attract a lot of attention and traffic from this.
The social networking site now offers verified profiles and celebrity pages, in the same way as Twitter.
Despite Facebook encouraging brands and companies to use the site, the social network has not adapted well to covering current news stories. It’s recently ‘borrowed’ certain features from Twitter including hashtags and trending topics to try and ape the micro-blogging site’s success in the public arena.
The drive has had some success, with Hollywood actor Channing Tatum posting the first picture of his newborn child on Facebook, rather than selling it to a glossy magazine, earlier this year.
In July, Andy Murray appeared on Facebook to host a live Q&A with fans following his win at Wimbledon in July.
View the AllThingsD report here
