We are all online, and most of us visit Facebook
We all have our favorite places online. In fact most of us probably spend too much time online (this view is very popular among partners and family members). The internet has almost become the new ‘drug of the nation’ which television used to be reviled for.
Some business people harbor negative views of Facebook that are either inaccurate, or out of date. They think that it is for teenage girls to share ‘duck faces’ or for some people to display a photo of every meal that they eat. The truth is, like many things in life, you get out what you put in.
Facebook is global, with 1.3 billion users. No matter what business you are in, your customers are hanging out there.
Isn’t Facebook for Teenagers?
Teenagers are often early adopters of new technology. Older people tend to ‘catch on’ later. Facebook wasn’t created for kids, and most adults visit Facebook. The numbers of elderly Facebook users continue to rise.
Take a look at this article from the Pew Research Center. The statistics for the last few years are a real eye opener:
- 71% of online American adults use Facebook.
- 56% of internet users ages 65 and older now use Facebook, up from 45% who did so in late 2013 and 35% who did so in late 2012.
- 58% say they are connected to work colleagues.
- 39% say they are connected to people they have never met in person.
These statistics are amazing since only 23% of the adult population use Twitter. The fact that 58% of adult internet users are connected to their work colleagues shows that Facebook is completely established among late adopters, and is a medium that crosses work boundaries.
Obviously not every country will have the same demographics as the US. but with 1.3 billion users worldwide, to ignore Facebook could mean that you are missing out on plenty of eyeballs from potential customers.
To avoid our Facebook pages turning into teen sites I must pre-warn everyone… Please resist the temptation to follow Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber. As long as we connect with industry related companies and people we should be fine.
Please take a look at NASA’s Facebook page that has of 13 million ‘likes’
https://www.facebook.com/NASA/timeline
They have somehow managed to avoid teen hysteria despite many boys and girls wanting to be astronauts!
Whether you are selling lemonade or racing boat engines, you set up your stall where your customers are likely to be hanging out. That might be at the edge of a fairground, or at a high profile trade show. Fortunately, whatever business you are in, you can be sure that many of your potential customers are on Facebook.
We have discussed why your business should be using Facebook, but before you do, decide whether you want to separate your business profile with your private one. This is a personal choice and there is no right and wrong. It will be more effort to maintain 2 sets of social media profiles, but the decision will depend on the nature of business that you are in, and the types of updates you post privately.
But don’t write Facebook off. Give it a try, you can always reduce the amount of time you spend on it if you fail to get traction. If you are looking for ways to expand your business, Facebook might be the best solution.
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