Why Facebook and Why Have a Fan Page?

With so many different Social Media sites out there now, why should you be on Facebook?  Why is it better than Twitter, Google +, and other sites? 


Well first of all, just looking back at 2011 at what Facebook did and how it continues to grow...  In 2011 Facebook had a 37% growth from over 585 million users to over 800 million users, so that is where your market is.  No matter what you're marketing, your prospects are there  hanging out on Facebook more than on Google, more than on Twitter, more than any other site.


2. The age distribution is very broad, with the largest group being between 18-25, but all ages even over 65 use Facebook regularly.  And some of the highest paying market are between the ages of 25-55, the largest groups who are active on Facebook regularly.



3.  The top ten countries, like the U.S., Indonesia, India, Brazil, UK, France...all use Facebook regularly.  So if you're in a foreign market, there's no better place to be.


4.  The top 10 Brand pages: Coca-Cola, Disney, Starbucks, Red Bull, Oreo, Converse, iTunes... have all increased their fan base by over 69% in 2011 alone, with the average fan Liking over 80 pages.  This means that all of these fans are regularly seeing ads and other posts from these Fan Pages, clicking on them, buying from them, and building trust in seeing their posts over and over again.  A good reason to have your own Fan Page.


5.  The top ten places where Facebook users check in are spread out all over the country from California to Illinois, to Florida.  These users who are checking in are using their cell phones and other mobile devices to do this...and how active does that make these users?  Facebook users are all over the country and are making an effort to be on Facebook at all times of the day.


So...no matter what you're marketing, or who you are wanting to connect with, your prospects are spending time on Facebook more than any other site.  Facebook is the place to be!


So...now that you see the importance of being on Facebook, what about a Fan Page?  If you are promoting yourself or a business, a Fan Page is a must!  Fan Pages have been shown to give higher conversion rates of visitors into fans/leads and from leads into paying customers than web pages alone.  People are already there on Facebook, getting to know you and building trust in you, and will more easily buy from you there than a "cold" web site.


Another benefit of a Fan Page is that you get to build 2 lists at once.  We all know the need for building a list of clients we can potentially sell to over and over, and with a Fan Page, you have the "public list" of your Fans that establishes credibility for you as your Fan base grows so others can see how many are following you and your service or product.  And you also have your own email list of all your fans and other buying customers.  So...with 2 lists, you've also created 2 ways to reach your clients - on your page and through emails effectively broadening your reach and sales.


You can also use your Fan Page as support and feedback, where you can build rapport with your fans and they can communicate with you freely about your service or product and help you tweak your offers to better meet your customers' needs and bring in more customers.


Another reason to have a Fan Page is for the opt-in capabilities.  The previous Fan Page allowed you to affix an opt-in form in the middle of your welcome page, but the new Timeline format allows a much larger opt-in page which has been shown to increase opt-in's by up to 50%!  Opt-in's will help your email list and customer base grow, in turn, helping your business grow.


And this is where the gold is!  Your opt-in page will allow you to gather a list of potential customers' emails.  This is key to growing your business, and not even the number of fans equals the potential you will have in your email list.  This is why your opt-in page is so important, and why it's more important to have a Fan Page than a Facebook profile page, or Twitter site, or even a Google + account where you are not able to have an opt-in or build a list.


Have you established your own Facebook Fan Page yet?  Have you adapted your Fan Page to the new Timeline and busy growing your own fan base and list?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on Facebook's new Timeline format and on Fan Pages below...

To your Success,
      Thea