• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, December 17, 2014

Responding to growing demand for anonymous social networking tools, Canadian tech firm Virtual Artifacts recently rolled out Social X — a service that sits on top of users’ Facebook experience, and lets them socialize secretly. This week, Social Media & Marketing Daily spoke with Jean Dobey, Virtual Artifact’s CEO, about the new service, its implications for marketers, the threat of Facebook getting in the way, and his concerns about giving bullies free rein on the world’s biggest social network.

SMMD: What’s so great about anonymous social networking?

Dobey: Part of our vision for Social X, particularly the ability to use an anonymous identity to post in a community, was to give people the confidence to share about topics they would not ordinarily be comfortable talking about using a public profile. There are numerous reasons why someone would want to use an anonymous identity, such as sharing about a sensitive topic, an embarrassing illness or a niche interest.

SMMD: Have you encountered any push back from Facebook?

Dobey: No, our users have enjoyed uninterrupted service since we launched Social X on Facebook, over three and a half weeks ago.

SMMD: Don’t you face a risk that Facebook will somehow interrupt the Social X experience, or offer a similar service that will render Social X irrelevant?

Dobey: Any application that operates on the platform does so at Facebook’s discretion. But we don’t anticipate an interruption because Social X is essentially a positive enhancement to Facebook Pages.

SMMD: How exactly does Social X enhance Facebook Pages?

Dobey: It offers Facebook users and brands an added benefit in terms of deepening the relationship between the two. We don’t believe Facebook would offer a service that would make Social X redundant. Social X actually enriches the Facebook experience and allows for increased engagement. It doesn’t take anything away from how people live their lives on Facebook, but simply gives them the option to interact using multiple identities.  

SMMD: What does Social X and similar services mean for marketers, many of whom have expressed concern about the anonymous social-networking trend?

Dobey: Social X allows users to participate in communities attached to Facebook Pages using different identities. It gives consumers the ability to interact with brands without disclosing their real identities.  

SMMD: How do brands benefit?

Dobey: Well, marketers can tap into a Social X community through the Social X Community CRM. From a marketer’s point of view, this is a hugely power tool, particularly as it gives companies and organizations the ability to place their employees at the center of their community. This gives them the chance to humanize their brand, build trusted relationships and connect with existing and potential customers. By providing an environment for their followers to freely and securely share their experiences and views on products and services, Social X can also provide marketers with a wealth of valuable feedback and consumer recommendations.

SMMD: What is your business model with Social X?

Dobey: Social X is free to install and your first 10 audience members are free. Once a Social X community reaches 11 to 500 audience members, the cost is $4.99 per month. When that community expands to 501 to 5000, the cost increases to $24.99 per month. We also offer custom packages for communities of 5000+.

SMMD: Digital bullying and harassment are big concerns. Couldn’t Social X and similar services be used to facilitate such activity?

Dobey: We’re sensitive to the pressing issues of bullying and harassment online. Conscious of the genuine harm such acts can cause, we’ve put the tools in place to ensure any incident of bullying or harassment is dealt with swiftly and effectively.

SMMD: What sort of tools?

Dobey: Users can report all posts and comments made on Social X, and any reported content will be addressed accordingly. Acts of bullying or harassment could lead to account termination and the notification of the appropriate authorities. If someone was to misuse Social X] to bully or harass, the person behind the anonymous identity would still be held accountable for their reported content and we would take the appropriate actions against that person.