The 2011 Facebook Statistics show some promising opportunities that are developing for business.  Here are a few of our thoughts on the statistics before you read them:

1. Facebook allows for you to leverage the value of the “recommendations” of others by “liking” your fan page and sharing their experience with businesses.
2. Prospects wall post can clearly go a long way to endorse your products or services.  Ideas around prospects adding your information to their wall need to be considered.
3. You can get significant ad exposure on facebook for a tenth of the expense it would cost on with conventional marketing means such as phonebooks, newspapers, radio, and T.V.

SNAP SHOT: Facebook.com average user figures and facts:

• Average user has 130 friends on the site
• Average user sends 8 friend requests per month
• Average user spends an average 15 hours and 33 minutes on Facebook per month
• Average user visits the site 40 times per month
• Average user spends an 23 minutes (23:20 to be precise) on each visit
• Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events
• Average user creates 90 pieces of content each month
• 200 million people access Facebook via a mobile device each day
• More than 30 billion pieces of content are shared each day
• Users than access Facebook on mobile devices are twice as active on Facebook compared to non-mobile users
• Facebook generates a staggering 770 billion page views per month

FULL DETAILS: Facebook’s latest statistics they just published:

As a small business owner or a freelancer, you’re always on the lookout for new and inexpensive ways to promote your business. One of the cheapest and most useful means available is to create a Facebook fan page. A fan page is similar to a personal Facebook profile, only it is for a company, product, band, television show, etc. Fan pages offer many benefits to those who have them.

Personal Satisfaction

It is impossible to overstate how frustrating being a small business owner or freelancer can be. You may work for hours and hours and not seem to get anything done. Facebook fan pages allow you to see that others do appreciate and enjoy your work. This minor boost can be enough to recharge your batteries and keep you going.

A Huge Potential Audience

Facebook has over 700 million users, all of whom have access to your fan page. Realistically, a very small portion ever will, but the option remains. Can you think of any other free form of advertising that could even potentially reach 700 million people?

Greater Interactivity than Most Other Web Pages

While all web pages offer the potential for interactivity, few offer the easy options of a Facebook fan page. The very nature of Facebook is to be an interactive environment, and it makes connecting and interacting with others very easy. So many people interact on Facebook that you may even become inundated with comments, messages, and likes.

Potential for Rapid Expansion of Fan Base

There are many people who spend a great deal of time looking at the profiles of their Facebook friends. These people are often interested in checking out fan pages that catch their eye. These people may then become fans of yours. Even if a very small percentage of each of your fans friends becomes interested in you in this way, the cumulative effects can be huge. For example, let’s say that you only get one new fan per every five existing fans in this manner. That would still increase your fan base by 20%, which is huge.

Targeted Advertising and Announcements

Some companies spend millions of dollars to find the customers that their marketing dollars will be best spent on. Facebook fan pages eliminate the need to do so. Anything that you advertise or announce on your fan page will be seen by people who are already interested in your products or work. These are the people who are most likely to purchase your products and services, maximizing your dollars earned per effort spent.

Customer Identification

Companies often become the most profitable when consumers begin to personally identify with a product or work. For example, certain clothing companies make most of their profit because skaters and surfers consider those brands part of their lifestyle. When someone becomes a fan on your fan page, it signifies that he or she is personally identifying with you in some way.

Improved Relationship with Potential Customers

Business is all about relationships, especially with customers. Facebook is designed to nurture relationships. Facebook allows for instant communication between a business and its fans. Fans can give feedback, which allows for you to improve your services. If you contact fans and implement their suggestions, their satisfaction level will increase, as will their sense of goodwill towards you and your endeavors. Facebook will allow you to nurture your relationships with your customers year after year and allow them to feel like part of your community.

As a real estate agent it is always important to evaluate how you spend your marketing dollars each month.  In this video we are going to show you how to begin doing facebook ads for your real estate business.

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So how do you capitalize on the power of Social Media promoting your business on Facebook?  While Facebook seems extremely social rather than professional, make no mistake your professional decision makers are on Facebook.

Here is a short list to begin to consider promoting your business or company on Facebook.

1.       Join & interact with groups that have your target market participating.  Simply use the Facebook search and click on the magnifying glass to choose your search of just groups.

2.       Create a Fan Page and begin to promote to your current customers and past clients to “like” the page.  This will in turn show up to your customers followers that they like your page. Potentially creating more clients.

3.       Post qualifying questions that you use in your business to take a cold lead and turn them into a warm lead.  Post these questions as “status updates”.

That was three simple steps to promote your business on Facebook.  What other things would you recommend?

When you get into the realm of the small business owner, you will find that social media is truly creeping in at an amazing pace. The majority of this can be found by the usage of social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Some of the basic benefits of using these sites would include the ability to make business contacts and maintain the links that you need between yourself and them.

The sites that I mentioned can be utilized in several different and very beneficial ways.

With Facebook, both an account for yourself as well as for your business can be created. By developing good communication with customers and contacts, you can eventually get people to just opt in to get messages from your company.

Creating a LinkedIn account is an amazing way of finding and communicating with professionals all over the world, even those who are already in a field specific to your own. This is a great way to share ideas with someone who already knows about what you do because they do the same thing.

Finally, when using Twitter, remember the great benefit that you get of promoting your business in such a few short words. You will find that when you look at other tweets from business owners that they are short, sweet, and to the point most of the time. This is yet another way of bringing customers to you.

Always remember that it’s the content of what you have that is most important. Useless and boring information will get you nowhere, but the opposite will provide for a truly strong and growing business as you head into the future.

Learn more how you and your small business can get started on Linkedin: LinkedIn Power User Strategies Webinar every Thursday at 4pm EST with live Q&A

As a business professional, so much information is available on using Social Platforms to generate business success. With so much noise, I wanted to take the time to provide the business world with three key categories of resources. They are key social media advisors who come not only highly recommended, but have the trackable experience as well. Next, I will share key tools that can help streamline your processes’ to better utilize your time invested. Finally, I will share key educational pieces you may want to take advantage of, before you review these resources take a look at this video.

Advisors
Nathan Kievman CEO of DemingHill, A Leading Social Media Firm
Chris Brogan Considered one of the foremost thought leaders in Social Media and well sought after advisor.
Mari Smith Considered to be the Facebook Queen
Seth Godin Considered to be a foremost business thought leader

Tools
Ping.fm: For Status Updates this tool will save you countless hours of time.
Hummingbird : Growing a targeted following on Twitter is tough enough.  This tool does it on automation.
Google Alerts : Listen to your audience. Without knowing what your target market or competitors are doing online how can you expect to get a creative edge in your marketing process? You must use Google Alerts to keep an ear to the masses.

Education Material
Trust Agents

Twitter Power 

Linked Into Marketing

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LinkedIn Power Users Webinar Every Thursday 4pm & 7pm EST, can’t make it go ahead and register for the playback.  Grabl your spot : http://bit.ly/3wzq9Q

As a business professional, owner, or manager why would you want to engage this space for your business? I asked the same questions and pulled together some videos I have found that help answer the question as to why do it?

Watch this one first:

Watch this one second:

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After seeing these videos, if you would like to learn more on how to engage Social Media For Your Business and create a complete Social Media Strategy, contact us at support@mycorporatemedia.com  , put in the subject, “Help my company with our Social Media Strategy”