It seems like I've been writing about Facebook a lot lately, but that's for good reason. It's becoming more and more apparent that, if you're trying to market to your small business customers online, Facebook is the one place you absolutely MUST be. The latest bit of news comes from a report by Experian Hitwise which shows that Facebook has surpassed Google as America's #1 most-visited website in 2010.
More Stats For You To Enjoy
In 2010 Facebook users shared nearly 3 million photos, shared 1 million links and "liked"nearly 8 million pages! Not very impressive, right? If Facebook was such a big deal they'd have more than a few million folks liking things! Well what if I told you all of that happens every 20 minutes. If you still don't think you need a Facebook presence prepare to be left in the dust.
It's All About Eyeballs
At this point the question really isn't whether or not Facebook is a viable marketing platform, rather it's what you're missing out on by not having an inbound marketing strategy in place that focuses on social networking. In the end it's all about eyeballs. On February 6, 2011, if you were given the opportunity to have your small business showcased in one place where would it be? Most folks would agree that having an ad on during the Super Bowl would be huge, because the game has nearly every US citizen's attention on that day. Now take a look at this comparison from April, 28 2010 (stats via Facebreakers.com):
Facebook Vs. The Superbowl
Number of users on Facebook in the United States: 121 million
Number of US viewers of Superbowl XLIV in the United States: 106.5 million
Facebook Penetration in the United States: 39.75%
Superbowl XLIV Penetration in the United States: 34.75%
Facebook’s penetration for individuals who are online in the United States: 53%
Superbowl XLIV’s Penetration of TV Households in the United States: 45%
Facebook’s Average CPM (cost per 1000 impressions) in United States: $0.20
Superbowl XLIV’s CPM (cost per 1000 viewers) in the United States: $28.16
Holy cow...and the numbers have only grown since then! It is without a doubt imperative that you have a strategy for marketing to folks on Facebook. If you're not sure how to get started feel free to contact us for a quick conversation and we'll get the ball rolling in the right direction for a successful 2011!
