10 years of Facebook

On the 4th February 2014, Facebook celebrated 10 years of…..well 10 years of what?

• Enabling friends to talk to friends?
• Enabling friends to locate friends that they may have lost touch with over the years?
• A means of sharing photos, and information about what they’ve been up to with their friends?
• Allowing strangers to form some sort of friendship online? A match making service?
• Bring people together who share a common interest such as a sporting group, college group, or art/dance group?
• Companies to connect with customers online?
• Companies to get real-time feedback from their customers in an open and very relaxed environment?
• Can you think of any more?

From its inception as a “hot or not” online game at Harvard University, where students would rate two images of students against one another, Facemash, which then became thefacebook and now Facebook has come a long way. What we are interested in is how it has shaped a company’s marketing strategy.

When you start a company, ideally you should have a goal and purpose moving forwards. This is not necessarily unique to your company but there are general attributes which tend to be present in most i.e. profit or not-for-profit, area specific or world domination. Before we look at how it has shaped a company’s marketing strategy it is possibly worth putting into groups the reactions we have had from clients when we mentioned the word Facebook.

The non-starters
Those who are not on Facebook and who have no interest in being on Facebook.

The reluctant
Those who have a page, but don’t know how to use it efficiently and therefore cannot see the benefit it can bring a company’s bottom line.

The proactive
Those who are active on Facebook on their own profiles and who connect with companies and brands they have an interest in.

When Box PR first started out back in 2009, we think it is fair to say we were surrounded by the non-starters, and those who could not see the purpose of Facebook (or any social media) or understand how it could help them as a company. Five years later, there has been some progression. We now find people are less reluctant and want to work with us and help grow their audience. Why is this?

More and more Facebook is being talked about, as friends and family communicate more through online methods, increasingly more people get involved. Perhaps it is the fear of being left out? When we now login not only do we see what our friends have been up to, but more so they are sharing posts, things in the news, offers from companies friends have chosen to share and also sponsored links. It is these shares, considered online word of mouth, and the sponsored links which is how companies can get involved and target their customers who are most likely to have a profile on Facebook.

Facebook is keeping us on our toes and whilst reports of the popularity of Facebook becoming stagnant, today it is predicted that there are over 1.2 billion monthly active users. Facebook is an additional tool, that if used effectively it can increase the brand awareness of your organisation and hopefully therefore increase your bottom line.

To avoid some common mistakes, here are our tips to Marketing and PR managers. Facebook is not:

Your company website

You still need a company website. As a company creating stories and news, you should always where possible link back to your company website. This will enable the interested party to see what else you have to offer.

Your only online presence

Facebook is part of your overall online strategy. It is a portal that may be used in addition to any online advertising and articles you may be involved with. Other social media sites (Twitter, LinkedIn, Google +, Pinterest, Flickr, YouTube, Instagram) may also provide some relevance to your organisation and should be reviewed.

Your strategy

Facebook can be part of your strategy, but it should not be your whole strategy.  As a company you need clear goals that are in line with your corporate and marketing plans, and Facebook follows this strategy not the other way round.

The only way you communicate to your customers

Whilst it is probably fair to say the majority of customers now have access to the internet in some way or another, not all your customers are online and therefore whilst Facebook may be part of your online marketing, remember your traditional offline methods too.

Sites are already gaining pace with Facebook, however is it a relatively low cost marketing tool you can afford to be without?

We do not promise that by having a company page on Facebook your bottom line will improve, however a relevant active page, which interacts with your customers and suppliers (in many cases) is good for corporate image, your brand and ultimately it can help to bring your company to the forefront of the decision making process.

If you would like further advice on Facebook and other social media platforms please contact us through any of the following means on our website here.