Facebook Inc. (FB) Hires Storylane to Take On Tumblr

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) has been all about making connections with friends, neighbors and others no matter where they live in the world. The company launched a new News Feed this week that is supposed to help galvanize the younger audience, which has shown to be getting bored with the social network. But what about those users who are older, have more life experiences and want a format by which to express their thoughts and lessons from life to those on the network who may benefit from the wisdom?

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) as formatted now isn’t necessarily geared for long stories or life analogies or expositions of personal views of the world. However, with a recent addition of some individuals who were part of a blogging startup, Facebook just might become a better tool for those longer expositions.  It is reported this week – and confirmed by the founder of the startup himself – that Storylane, which began in the fall of 2012, will be absorbed into the Facebook platform as the five-person crew that makes up Storylane will become Facebook employees and will help integrate its social-blogging model into the Facebook platform.

Could this be a shot across the bow at Tumblr? Well, considering that while many of the young Facebook users are getting bored with Facebook and have been using Tumblr more – not to mention the really savvy Internet users and social sharers – it seems that Tumblr’s more visually rich blogging platform is drawing some audiences if not completely away from Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB), at least splitting more of their time between the two. At this point, there is only so much you can do with a Facebook post, while Tumblr blogs allow for video embedding, GIF files with animation and other rich features that Facebook does not currently offer.

In a post announcing the “merger” of sorts, Storylane chief Jonathan Gheller wrote, “This is an exciting opportunity. Facebook’s mission of connecting the world has always been at the center of our work, and like our friends at Facebook, meaningful connections are what our team is most passionate about.”

What do you think? Is this a good long-term move for Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB)? Do you think this can improve engagement of users and thus increase revenue? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

DISCLOSURE: I won no positions in any stock mentioned.

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