Most people think that Social Media has nothing to do with Social Marketing. I mean, why would you advertise your products or services on sites like MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter? Isn’t that just a waste of time? The answer is a resounding “NO!”
Sure, back in the day when Social Media was just beginning, there wasn’t much to it. MySpace was the reigning king and it was largely a popularity contest to see who could get the most friends. MySpace is still around and a lot of people still use it to advertise, just like a lot of people have jumped on the Twitter bandwagon (mostly a barrage of celebrities). But by and large, the users are congregating elsewhere: Facebook. Back in 2004, Facebook was originally only open to a select number of college students, those of which needed to have a valid college email address to access the site. Facebook started catching on though, and in 2005 it was open to high school students. By 2006, anybody over the age of 13 with a valid email address could join. Facebook started becoming less and less about a Who’s Who for students and more like an avenue for users to share anything and everything. Did you hear about that new band that played at the bar last night? Check out their Facebook page! Companies can create fan pages and applications for their products and services, which have the ability to be viewed by Facebook’s 250 million users. With more than 8 million users becoming fans of pages daily, you’d be crazy not to jump on that gravy train!
Facebook isn’t just for the kids anymore. The number of adults on Facebook is steadily increasing: the fastest growing demographic is users 35 years of age and up. And you thought that this was just some silly little adolescent phase. Sure, young adults ages 18-25 still make up 43% of Facebook’s daily users, but that percentage is rapidly shifting. Because Facebook’s prime user ages span from 18-65, it is a prime candidate for Social Marketing. Where else are you going to find such a dynamic selection of potential consumers?
Maybe you think catering to the Facebook market sounds like a lot of work for very little ROI. Sure, you could go the direct route and throw some ads up on there, but that’s not how you’re going to reach your viewers. The interactive aspect of Facebook is without a doubt the basis of its appeal. You can figure out exactly what all your friends are doing at this exact moment with Status Updates, you can see what site they recently became a fan of, and you can see the pictures from their weekend out. All of this is clearly visible on the front page of the News Feed, which allows users to not only see what their friends have been up to, but let’s them explore new hobbies and interests as well. And with the rise of smartphones like the iPhone and Blackberry, people don’t have to wait until they get home to catch up. The truth is, people are tuning in to Facebook regardless of whether or not you’re advertising on there. And if you can get your company circulating around Facebook to even just a few viewers, that number can quickly multiply. Even if only one person becomes a fan of your page, your page will show up on that person’s News Feed. And then all of that person’s friends are easily exposed to your page, making it easier than ever for them to stumble across your products. Start using your Status Update to let users know about new products and specials, and your reach becomes even wider. Put simply: more viewers facilitates more traffic which can result in an increase in leads/sales.
So you tell me, who wouldn’t want to be on Facebook?
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