Facebook has become an increasingly important place for marketers to focus their energies. The clear leader in social media users with 500 million active users in 2011, Facebook is the second most-visited site on the Internet behind only Google. Marketers have the option of using Facebook for free branding initiatives and paid ones.
Engagement
Facebook users spend more time on the site than users of the other most-popular sites, such as Google and Yahoo!. The average time users spent on the site was about seven hours per month in a survey in 2011. That high level of engagement means that marketers utilizing Facebook for brand initiatives have a better chance of attracting the attention of a high number of targeted customers than other sites can provide.
Attracting Fans
Setting up a Facebook page has become a standard practice for businesses and other organizations. The brand pages, which are inexpensive to create and maintain, allow Facebook users to become "fans" of the page and to view material that the page owner posts, such as images, videos, sales and other news. It also offers a simple way for customers to connect with a brand. Facebook fans can comment on the page owner's posts, submit inquiries or simply make an unsolicited comment. They also can "like," or recommend, the work of a page owner, thereby spreading information about the brand to their Facebook friends.
Paid Advertising
In addition to a brand page on Facebook, marketers can also create and buy advertising to be posted in the margins of Facebook pages. The ads allow users to interact through the ad, accepting invitations to events or "liking it," creating an endorsement that posts on the Facebook user's personal page. The ad also can incorporate social endorsements, personalized for the Facebook user that is viewing it. For instance, the ad can reflect if any of the Facebook user's friends has responded to the ad.
Targeting
Facebook collects a great deal of user data that its users voluntarily provide on their own personal Facebook accounts. This allows Facebook to help marketers target their advertisements very specifically to Facebook users most likely to respond to the ads. For instance, a 2011 Los Angeles Times article noted that Facebook users who switch their relationship status to "engaged" might suddenly see a bunch of advertisements for wedding-related services when they visit Facebook.
Tags: Facebook users, Facebook user, page owner, owner posts, page owner posts