- My wife and I saw the movie The Social Network and it inspired me to publish this post.
First, let's get this out of the way. The Social Network is a really good movie and I definitely recommend it to anyone who has a pulse and who is "socially connected" to the online phenomenon known as Facebook. It seems as if everyone and their mother has a Facebook account( my 85 year old grandmother even has a profile), has received friend requests or contemplated clicking the confirm icon, joined a particular group, or has documented that they are currently eating a cheese sandwich. I'm willing to bet my house that a large percentage of Facebook's 500 million (about one person per 14 in the world) active users are guilty of "profile stalking" and obsessively updating their status.
For the individuals who have been either living under a rock, in a cave, or within an Amish community (don't worry...it's not like they be reading this post anyways) I'm going to provide you with a link that details the brief history of Facebook and it's creator Mark Zuckerberg and how it has transformed everyday online/networking experience. The purpose of the convenient link is because I don't have the mental capacity or the time to explain the evolution of Facebook and how it had dramatically altered our society's technology and culture.
My purpose of this post is not to conduct a research assignment on Facebook, but to shed a light on its revolutionary and vital contribution to mainstreaming and expanding retail advertising/marketing efforts online. According to marketingforecast.com "social networks were the top community or social tool retailers used or planned to use in the next year; Facebook fan pages specifically were cited by 91% of respondents to that survey."
Social Media has a larger impact on creating a loyal customer base and following as opposed to being the primary tool to acquiring new customers. Local businesses, big or small, and major corporations are able to promote themselves through referral marketing (also known as "word of mouth") with the consistent posts on their wall in hopes of attracting friends and customers throughout the network. These posts are often effective when the content is interesting and informative and if they are targeted towards the right group of people. This simple plan of constant creativeness is a cost effective way for a business to market themselves or to promote their product. It is also allows them to ignite brand awareness and hopefully create a "cult following" with their already existing customers or potential customers.
Throughout the Facebook network, large multi-media companies (online & mobile) have been aggressively advertising their business, products, or services via impression based online banner ads because of the potential to reach millions. These specific banner ads are created and positioned throughout the social network of Facebook to not only drive e-commerce or online traffic to a retailer, but to effectively promote the company's brand and message.
Another example of how individual companies have taken advantage of the opportunities Facebook provides is by marketing through the avenue of numerous casual games such as FarmVille. FarmVille is the latest online craze associated with Facebook which attracts a large amount of online traffic and provides another medium for people to interact. For those who haven't been sucked in yet, FarmVille is basically online farming, but it requires the ultimate dedication, attention, and can often times become extremely addictive. Would you mind holding for a second? I have to harvest my crops.
Ok, I'm back. Sorry that took so long, someone sent me a mystery gift and posted it on my wall and I had to update my status and let my friends and the whole world know.
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