Social Media Marketing and Facebook: Why You Need a Profile

In recent years, social networking sites enabled by Web 2.0 technologies have dramatically changed the way we use the Internet. What was once a one-way connection has transformed into a dynamic connective medium, allowing users to share a wide range of content, including blogs, photos, videos and more.

However, how have social networking sites like Facebook changed the way online marketers advertise online? On the one hand, they have made our job much easier. Facebook is the ideal medium for advertising in a viral environment by nature. These online social directories use an interactive format that allows users to create a personal profile, connect with other users, and share content.

In a sense, these users have already effectively segmented themselves, coming together through similar interest groups and connecting through content. These behaviors, which are inherent to social networks and enabled by Web 2.0, create valuable networks of targeted and targeted demographics. Now more than ever, the “Net Generation” is getting involved in social media and presenting online marketers with the opportunity to market to pre-defined segments of online users by positioning brand messages on sites where these users spend time online.

Furthermore, these social networking sites are growing at an exponential rate, adding more and more users from more diverse backgrounds. Facebook was initially created just for college students, but last year it was opened up to anyone with an email address. According to Microsoft, Facebook is the sixth most trafficked site in the US and now has more than 73 million registered users across 40,000 different college, high school, work-related and geographic networks. This represents a growth rate of 530% in a single year.

The tactic through which advertisers communicate with these segmented online audiences is known as Social Media Marketing (SMM). SMM has become a popular tool for search engine optimization (SEO) thanks to its unique ability to improve website visibility, name recognition and brand awareness among targeted online audiences through the acquisition of a network of relevant links.

So what opportunities does Facebook present for targeted online marketing efforts? Among internet users ages 18-24, Facebook ranked first on the list of favorite sites in the most recent Trending Youth survey. More than 70% of women ages 17-25 indicated that Facebook was their favorite site in terms of time spent online. For men, this figure was still a mighty 56%. This demographic is clearly technology-driven, thanks to their growth in a culture that regards time online as an integral aspect of daily life. More than half of those surveyed visited Facebook at least once a day, logging an average of 35 minutes on the site.

Additionally, these users are familiar with online environments and are adept at searching for and finding specific content that interests them. Therefore, social networking sites, especially Facebook, provide online marketers with the opportunity to engage users with advertising messages at critical moments of relevance.

So how can we use social media marketing to effectively engage these elusive young adult audiences? Below are several ideas on how to use social media marketing on Facebook.

  • Connect through groups: Facebook has an endless number of shared interest groups that users join for countless reasons. These groups cover an unlimited number of topics and interests, from marine biology to snowboarding, politics, rap music, and Italian food. No matter what your interest or target market is, there is a group for you. take it from me I am a registered user of Facebook, or “Facebooker” since 2003, and I have seen a group for everything, literally. Many even have a local focus, like the Denver Broncos fan groups or the Denver Chinese Student Group. Each of these groups has its own page with a forum, discussion board, photo gallery, etc. This is the best place to position messages for specific niche audiences, as it almost guarantees that everyone who sees it will fit your target profile. In the past, when I was trying to drive traffic to a video site I worked for, I’d post descriptive and engaging links to relevant videos on the group’s “wall” or discussion forum. I saw great results as many of the members of this particular group, who were into skiing, followed these links to watch videos about their favorite sport, skiing.
  • Connect through apps: Recently, Facebook has opened up its platform to third-party developers who have created myriad apps, ranging from fantasy stock-picking simulators to “beer pong” video games to world maps marking desired travel destinations. Users can add as many of these apps as they like to their profiles, creating opportunities for marketers and developers to subtly integrate marketing messages into these apps and their features. Many developers have already done so and are no doubt reaping some significant benefits, not only through increased brand awareness, but also through the traffic generated from Facebook, which many have connected to their own sites.
  • Connect through content: Because Facebook allows users to post videos, images, links, photos, and more, advertisers can seamlessly use social media marketing strategies to connect with these groups through content. By positioning your content where your target audience is, you can be sure that your brand will be right in front of their eyes as they engage with your message. Facebook is a repository for an infinite amount of consumer data, what many experts have called “a community in a box.” So why not take advantage of this data by getting involved? Connect through content.
  • Connect through events: As Facebook grew, it added an “Events” section where users can post information about upcoming events and then invite their Facebook friends to attend. The entire events section is searchable, and users can quickly locate the events they are interested in, find the host name, location, time, and even a description of the event. Additionally, Facebook gives each event its own page, where users can RSVP, decline to attend, or even post information on the event page’s public discussion board, such as what to wear, what to bring, and so on. This presents social media marketers with a valuable opportunity to post events and then invite people who are likely to be interested in attending. In my own experience with this medium, I have created events for clients and then posted information and invitations within groups that align. For example, when promoting an upcoming reggae concert or college football game, seek out as many groups related to reggae music, college football, music, and sports as you can, and post event information on the forums. discussion of your groups to make sure that anyone interested now knows and expects.
  • Connect through mobile devices: Just this week, Facebook announced that it has partnered with RIM, or Research In Motion, and its BlackBerry device. In addition to BlackBerrys, Facebook is accessible to a wide range of other mobile devices. This presents valuable opportunities for advertisers to reach potential customers in a local level, positioning the presence of your company at the moment of relevance.

Still, Facebook’s explosive growth has not been without its challenges. In response to criticism from a host of groups, Facebook recently added additional security measures in an effort to better protect private information. As well as calming privacy fears, this is sure to encourage more users to join the site and share more information about themselves. However, this will also force social media marketers to be more innovative and creative in identifying and locating target audiences.

As you can see, Facebook users have taken care of the segmentation process, connecting through shared content and interests. These behaviors, which are inherent to social networks and enabled by Web 2.0, create valuable networks of targeted and targeted demographics. Now more than ever, the “Net Generation” is getting involved in social media and presenting online marketers with the opportunity to market to pre-defined segments of online users by positioning brand messages on sites where these users spend time online.

The company I work for, Fusionbox, a Denver Internet marketing company, uses social media marketing to combine the goals of Internet marketing with the capabilities of social networking sites and Web 2.0 technologies. Click here to learn more about social media marketing [http://running-with-the-bulls-seo.blogspot.com/2007/09/social-media-marketing-bridging-gap.html].

Essentially, our SMM services create powerful forms of viral marketing that take advantage of the large audiences and user communities of social networking sites. Whether it’s on MySpace, YouTube, Digg, Facebook, Del.icio.us, Flickr or any other, SMM is all about creating and connecting users with businesses through unique content.

For this reason, SMM can be used to build a network of links, spread brand messages, increase visibility and awareness, and even manage your company’s online reputation. After all, each of these social networking sites has millions of registered users, grouped into communities of similar interests. Now all you have to do is discern where your target audience hangs out online. What more could a seller ask for? No other channel allows companies to declare their identity, service offerings, value proposition and location within such a specific environment.

Our team of experienced and innovative social media marketing experts will effectively position your website content in a targeted digital space where it will be seen by those you want to see it.

Fusionbox is a leader in applying Web 2.0 technologies to the Internet marketing domain. Our services have been aptly considered Web Marketing 2.0 due to our ability to connect customers with customers by engaging the market and starting conversations through social media.

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