14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has made a lot of changes to Bing lately, in an attempt to make the search service a bit more social than before, and a new feature was just added to complete the transition.
Following the addition of a social sidebar to Bing’s search results last month, so as to enable users to interact with their friends easier than before, the service now provides people with the possibility to easily tag contacts when sharing search results with them.
Through this feature, Bing enables a wider range of interaction options, while also enabling people to receive recommendations easier than before.
“This allows you to effortlessly tap into the collective wisdom of your social network, and get input from your friends who are in the know,” Kim Vlcek, program manager, Bing Social Team, notes in a blog post.
“Have a friend who’s a travel guru and can help you plan a summer vacation? A foodie who can lend some suggestions for your next backyard barbecue? Or maybe you’re searching for great hiking trails and want your friends to tag along.”
Tagging friends is simple, Kim Vlcek explains. All that users need to do to take advantage of the new feature is to enter a question or comment in the sidebar and then type the name of a Facebook contact to tag him or her.
The new feature enables one person to tag up to five people at a time. Moreover, one will be able to have the question posted on the Facebook timeline.
“With your permission, the question will post on your Facebook timeline, and your tagged friends will be notified so that they can pitch in and help you find what you’re looking for. Remember - you are always in control of what you share through the sidebar,” Vlcek continues.
Those who would like to take advantage of this new social feature of Bing should head over to the service’s homepage and connect with their Facebook account. This will enable them to find additional info on what they are looking for with the help of their friends.