Are you on Facebook yet? No? Why not? Or maybe you’re on Facebook and not sure what to do now that you’re there. Well check out these recent stats (courtesy of Marketingsavant.com):
As of 2/14/09 Facebook has 175,000,000 active users
Facebook grows by well over 600,000 users per day
If Facebook were a country it would now be the 6th most populated country in the world
The fastest growing segment are women over 55 (up 175% according to this report)
Women dominate Facebook (meaning there are more women than men on Facebook)
Tips for an effective Facebook page:
- Update frequently. Facebook is not the field of dreams, just because you built it doesn’t mean people will beat a path to your door
- Use it to post events, updates on your book, product or message – keep your followers current about what’s going on in your world. Don’t tell us you just washed the dog.
- Facebook is not a way to push a message, but rather communicate *with* your market.
- Make sure your picture is current, don’t use a logo – I tend to think that doesn’t personalize your page enough. People want to see you, let them get to know who you are.
This article was very timely and helpful as I’m planning to create a Facebook fan page this week. Thanks for the useful info!
I’d just like to say that a few authors who are my FB friends tend to push their books too hard.
I think FB friends should be nurtured, not thrust at. I find it annoying when people work ‘too hard’ at getting their name/book out there.
I just mention my book in as subtle a way as possible, about every month or so – I let it slip into a conversation that someone else has started.
Thanks for the suggestion on a picture of us, Penny. We all like to see who is behind the message and if it’s a character, well, let us be that character!
MJ