Social Networking

In this article I am continuing to focus on Facebook as a powerful and dynamic marketing tool. Buzz all over the World Wide Web reflects that Google traffic is drying up. It is not the cash-cow that it was five-years-ago or even a year-ago. Where will it be in another year? Of course no one knows that for sure, but wisdom dictates that if Google traffic has been your bread and butter in business, then it might be a good idea to search out other ways to generate traffic for your business.

Buzz on the World Wide Web also reveals Facebook as the rising star in arena of marketing and lead generation. That makes an awful lot of sense when you consider that all consumers are people. The fact is more people are hanging out on Facebook for longer time periods than any other social media site today. People are also setting marketing and buying trends on Facebook. Consider these statistics:

? People spend over 700 billion moments on Facebook every month
? More than 30 billion pieces of content ( such as articles, photos, links, news stories, blog posts, etc.) are shared on Facebook every month
? The average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups, or events
? 150 million people access Facebook through external websites every month
? More than 150 million are accessing Facebook through their mobile devices every month and are considered to be twice as active on Facebook as the average user.

With statistics like that and with the economy in the condition that it is currently in, it is not surprising that major corporations such as Starbucks, iTunes, Soft Drink Companies, and more, all have a presence on and a strategy for marketing on Facebook. My question to you the marketer is, do you have a strategy to create and employ a Social Marketing Plan to attract the social consumer?

Whether you do or do not have one yet, you must consider employing Facebook in concert with other social media sites such as Twitter, Linked-In, Word Press Blog, and YouTube. I say this because for the social consumer, everything begins with a search. When they type in their search, it should be your goal to show up everywhere they go on the web. After the social consumer types in a search, they read articles, reviews, and public announcements. They search blogs to find someone who is talking about the product that they intend to buy. They review videos and demonstrations of the product that they are searching for and they do comparisons of different brands and different companies that promote them.

How well you do in the social consumer’s search and review process will produce social currency for you on Facebook and other Social Media. According to Brian Solis, social currency is equal to a favorable comment or someone hitting the Like Button on your Facebook, YouTube site or your Blog. Reputation, trust, and relationships are earned when people are attracted to your promotion, product, or price. Your ability to excel in this process will earn you the reputation and status that you deserve. When you attract a following on Facebook you will develop exponential success. This true because the people you attract who want to hear what you are going to say next, have attracted people themselves who are waiting to hear what they say, what they think, and what they recommend. It is a marketer’s dream, it is free, and it is powerful.

The bottom-line of this article is that the current marketing trend is moving more and more towards Social Media in general and Facebook in particular. If you want a piece of the action, now is the time to start developing and employing your marketing strategies for Facebook and other Social Media. No one knows what the power of Facebook will be a year from now. We do know that today it is huge and it shows no sign of slowing down. Let the reader understand!

Are you struggling with creating, developing, or employing a social media? If so check out my resource block below. I am here to help you move forward with your marketing plan.