Some Things About Facebook to ConsiderAccording to data from Compete, Facebook has surpassed Google as the top source of traffic for major portals like Yahoo, MSN, and AOL. In December, 15% of traffic to these sites came from Facebook and MySpace. 13% from just Facebook. They say it's among the top traffic drivers for other types of sites as well.
In a recent WebProNews article, I asked if it is becoming increasingly less critical for businesses to have websites, when they can just have things like Facebook pages and Google Place pages. The discussion is more complex than just that (feel free top participate here), but the general point is that you can have a strong web presence without having an actual web site (although I still recommend having one in most cases).
By Facebook's most recent stat counts, the site has over 400 million active users. Half of them log on each day. Over 35 million upate their status each day, with over 60 million status updates posted each day. Over 5 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) are shared each week, over 3.5 million events are created each month, and there are over 3 million active Pages on Facebook.
Over 1.5 million local businesses have active pages. Over 20 million people become fans of Pages each day, and Pages have created over 5.3 billion fans. The average user has 130 friends. These last few stats say a lot about the power of Facebook for businesses.
Facebook pages can be found in Google (often near the top of results pages), and there are things you can do to make them more powerful. I discussed this in more detail here. Basically, it comes down to participation, integration with other online presences, not being annoying to your fans, and hosting events (which can also lead to participation).
Promotion of your page is key as well. Use prominent links on your site(s), use the Facebook Fan Box or something like it. You can promote it in your author bio on articles/blogs, in email newsletters, on other social media profiles, in your Google profile, on your business card, in your signage, in your email signature, and in your ads, to name a few.
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Facebook
How does this compare to local business search? Another question is where do you see results on the first page of search engines? I don't think I've ever seen a facebook result on a search for a local business.
Anyway, I continue to enjoy you articles and expertise! Thanks!
RE:
Facebook as important as Google
Mobile marketing is a new and emerging form of promotion and advertising. If you look at the statistical projections for mobile marketing, today's numbers pale in comparison to what it will be in the future.
As a mobile marketing site, we've done a good job of promoting to those people who already know about mobile marketing and want to do it. That's what Google does well for us as we can target certain keywords and be in the mix for our SEO and PPC efforts.
But, in a new and emerging industry, targeting just the people who already know about mobile marketing is only targeting the 10% of people who need this service. There's another 90% out there that don't know they need it yet.
That's where Facebook does a great job for us. We have found that the people who call us about mobile marketing are usually the 20-something persons in the office who the boss has seen text messaging. Hence, they get the job of finding out the details for the boss.
With Facebook, for example, we can target just people 25-34 who work in the advertising business. These are the 90% of people who don't yet know they need our mobile marketing product. That's something that Google is not able to do, at least not as effectively.
Priorities
Yes, of course Facebook is a new way of getting massive visitors to a site. Methods to get those visitors should be implemented in all web strategies of serious companies. Thw way to do it though can vary and it should vary because advertizements could end up being looked upon as spam if to many do the same. I think an approach that varies promoting a business on Facebook is the key to success.
Facebook is a good way of
Facebook is a good way of expanding the source of traffic. I have very close connections to a Facebook fan page that gained over 5000 fans in two months and 4000 visits (in one month) - it is not a traffic that Google may sure but even Google won't last forever - it is good to be somewhere else too.
There’s an incredible
There’s an incredible amount of media and blogger noise about social networks, yet most focus on “killer app” hype without an objective point of view.
Building Someone Else's Business For Them?
From a business man's point of view, I would think most actions on another's website should be "a means to an end" and not an end in itself.
While the webpages maintained on Facebook may offer exposure, the ultimate benefit to most webmasters therefrom is to attract customers to their own website which is structured as they would wish and where they can now maximise sales.
A long term view should be taken because what happens if the policies of Facebook changes and precludes the webmaster who has invested therein so much resources at the detriment of his own personal website.
"Relevance" To Achieving The Webmaster's Objectiive Is Critical
Facebook Pages
Chris,
A very good read and nicely used statistics.
Isn't there a problem with Facebook pages, that though we can create a brand page its more like a presence and influence but if a SMB needs to create a little more than just time lined posts and comments there needs to be something more ?
I agree with one of Dele's comments that most of the FB pages draw probable customers to their own pages outside Facebook. Would it not be a good idea to get organized brand pages which can serve more than a commenting and status update ?
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