10 Compelling Reasons Your Business/Organization/Brand Needs a Facebook Page

Desiree is...

For those of you already on Facebook, you'll understand how powerful those two words are. I started my own Facebook page about 6 months ago. I also started a page for our company, Bella Web Design, Inc. (in case you didn't already know--ha!) about a month ago. In a very short time, I went from 0 followers to over 150 and growing every day. I've seen how powerful this application is both personally and professionally and I want to share some of my own reasons I think your company/org/brand should have its own Facebook page:

1. Facebook has more than 130 million active users. That's a lot of eyes to get your information in front of every day. 
2. Exposure, Exposure, Exposure! The average user has over 100 friends. Think about that. The power of referrals. I would hire someone I was referred to by a friend much quicker than someone I didn't know. What a huge referral base you have access to!
3. More than 2.5 million users become Page fans every day. That means that people love to join groups, become a part of something. When you build a page for your business/org/brand, people can opt to join your page and become a member of your Tribe, your club, your secret society. 
4. More than 70% of Facebook users are outside the US. Thinking of growing your business on an international scale? This statistic is pretty amazing. Think globally!
5. 2.6 Billion (BILLION!) minutes are spent on Facebook every day! Wow! Not only are a lot of people accessing Facebook, but they are staying on it during the day. That's an average of 20 minutes per user per day. Most websites don't see that much action, less than a three minutes or so per user, especially if the site isn't compelling or user-friendly.
6. Your page can establish your company's credibility and expertise. By adding information your customers/clients/fans are looking for to help them further their business or educate them, you're creating a powerful reference tool people will come back to again and again.
7. Facebook isn't just for kids anymore. The fastest growing demographic are those who are 25 and older and college graduates. Its true that we have the college and high school crowd to thank for helping Facebook get where its at, but business owners and GenX/Y/Baby Boomers are quickly taking over as Facebook users. Its a highly desirable demographic to get in front of.
8. Facebook is FREE. Free advertising to millions. You can't argue with that.
9. Advertising rates are still fairly low compared to Google and Yahoo. Since Facebook is still a pretty new marketing/advertising tool, you can still jump on the click-ad bandwagon at pretty reasonable rates.
10. You never know who knows who. I have a client who was trying to get a meeting set up between himself and a particular business for years. Turns out someone in his Facebook friends knew the right person and opened the door for him. You never know who can help you open the next door to opportunity.

I hope you'll consider creating a Facebook page for your company/org/tribe this next year. I see Facebook as a very powerful tool and a way to get in front of many people at a very low cost. The ROI is worth the time that can go into setting a page up and maintaining it. Facebook isn't just another trend, but a new way for people to come together and keep track of one another. To socialize and be social. Join us on Facebook and see if its something worth doing for your own tribe!