Ah, there you go again, Facebook. Now with 700 millions users and 96% of all Americans under 50 on Facebook* We. Can. Not. Ignore. You. What does this mean for social media marketing and PR firms?
Why do you think [almost] everyone is on Facebook?
Maybe Facebook is more than a place for friends. Here’s what I told a German reporter about Facebook, branding and culture.
For our clients, businesses who were thinking that, hey, it would be okay to set social media aside for another business quarter or three, it’s clear that doing so is like putting the brakes on business.
*Results based on a BofA study of 418 U.S. citizens. Yeah, that’s really small and probably not hugely [or at all] statistically significant. But . . . what if the number was, say only 84% or even 72%?
Edison Research sets the number at 51%, but that’s across all ages. Yet, this number is up from only 8% three years ago.
More significant than the “you got me now” overall 96% percentage number is BofA’s research insights into how Facebook is rearranging the way we use the web.
In checking around, I found a few sites, including Business Insider, that pulled out a few key takeaways from BofA’s Facebook study:
- Facebook users are interested in learning more about daily deals from local businesses, which may impact companies like LivingSocial and Groupon.
- Yahoo loses more traffic to Facebook than Google does.
- 46% have intentionally clicked on an within Facebook
- 33% have increased time on YouTube as a result of their Facebook usage
What Facebook’s wide acceptance means for social media marketers and PR agencies:
Facebook is now a full-fledged marketing channel. I know, I know this is social media. Here, we listen, we chat and we converse politely – at least we do today.
Going forward, Facebook will become more of a mix of social and marketplace. Sort of a combination of a mall, coffee shop, living room, shopping mall and community center, Facebook will be where you go to find your friends and live your life. That’s my prognostication. What do you think?
Full Disclosure: BofA is my husband’s employer. He is not a contributor to this blog. All opinions are my own. I must say, though, I appreciate reporting research results like these.
Image Credit: clarusvisus / Shutterstock.com
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