In case you missed the news out of last week’s F8 conference, Facebook’s new universal ‘Like’ button is coming soon to a website near you – and brings with it some “special powers”.  When you click the Like button on any of the tens of thousands of sites where it appears, Facebook automatically updates your Facebook profile and Wall to list the TV show, musician, book – whatever the object of your affection happens to be.  So now it’s easier than ever to share your interests with the people you already know.

But how can you meet new people who share your ‘likes’ and interests?

Today, we are announcing the Grouply on Facebook application.  Grouply on Facebook leverages the Facebook Like button to provide personalized, real-time recommendations of relevant Yahoo! Groups, Google Groups, and Grouply Groups to Facebook’s 400 million active users. Current Grouply users – who already receive recommendations based on their actions in Grouply – benefit from enhanced suggestions that consider their real-time ‘likes’ on thousands of sites around the web!

Universal ‘Like’ button powers Grouply’s Facebook app

Here’s how it works. Say you are on the Pandora website listening to Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” and you come across a Like button on Bruce’s artist page. Click the button, and Bruce Springsteen gets added as a musical interest on your Facebook profile.

The next time you visit Grouply on Facebook, Grouply will automatically run a personalized search for you across 2.5 million deep-interest Yahoo! Groups, Google Groups and Grouply Groups. Using semantic technology, Grouply lists the groups that best match your real-time ‘likes’.  Join a group that Grouply suggests, and you are immediately connected with a whole new crowd of people who share your love for The Boss!

And what if you haven’t clicked any Like buttons lately? No problem! Grouply suggests groups based on the TV shows, books, schools, political views, activities, and other information already in your Facebook profile.

“OK, but are these real groups?” you wonder.  And it’s a valid question, given that most groups on social networking sites are little more than profile labels.  But rest assured that the groups you discover through Grouply are usually the best of their kind, offering rich dialogue among passionate and knowledgeable members.  A recent conversation in Bruce’s Place, for example, questioned the song choices on a soon-to-be-released Springsteen DVD.  In another thread, members shared their personal stories about how they “got into” Bruce.

So when you join a group recommended by Grouply, chances are high that you will find some enthusiastic, interesting, and informed people you will want to get to know!

Deep Facebook integration

Grouply provides deep Facebook integration that extends beyond group suggestions.

• Facebook Connect – Now you can login with your Facebook ID. No more Grouply ID to remember!
• Group sharing – When you join a new group on Yahoo! Groups, Google Groups, or Grouply, you can share it with your friends on Facebook. Maybe they’ll want to join the group, too!
• Message sharing – Read a posting you like on Grouply? Click the Like button in Grouply and let your friends on Facebook know about it.
• “Group Smackdown” – Beatles or Stones? Coke or Pepsi? Ginger or Mary Ann? Group Smackdown pits one fan group against another to determine once and for all who’s best. Coming soon!

Many of you have told us that what you love most about Grouply – and what distinguishes Grouply from all other offerings – is how the site helps you discover and connect with others who share your passions. We believe the new Grouply on Facebook application firmly positions Grouply as the leading groups offering for “social discovery.” Please check it out and let us know what you think!

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 at 12:00 pm and is filed under New Releases.