By Jamie Slade Won’t you be my friend? The complex truth about FacebookIt can be a tool for marketers, so long as it’s not too much of one

So I log into my Facebook account yesterday and, Oh my God, how exciting! I have a friend request! Who could it be? A long lost buddy? Nope. An old classmate? Uh uh. Someone from my hometown? I don’t think so. Actually, I have no idea who it is. Oh, wait! It’s the brother of the friend of the person I met at that crazy party last weekend. I think. Should I accept or ignore? ACCEPT! Now I have 1,521 friends. Damn, I’m popular.

Thanks to Facebook, the definition of the word “friend” has been altered to accommodate the times and people’s role in the virtual world. A friend is no longer the person you hang out with on a regular basis, call on the phone, or exchange personal information with in face-to-face communication. No, not on Facebook. If you’re like most people, only a small percentage of the names in your Facebook friends list are true friends with whom you keep in regular contact. The remainder can be considered acquaintances. They are the people whose status updates you enjoy reading and whose photos you like to checkout. But the last time you actually messaged them or had a conversation was, in some cases, never. Whatever the case, these friend requests are the crux of the success of the Facebook phenomenon.

What started out in Mark Zuckerberg’s dorm room at Harvard University in 2004 has now grown into the most popular social networking website out there. (An aside: Why do the most popular and successful things always come from someone’s garage or dorm room?) When Facebook was originally launched, it was limited to the students at Harvard. But on September 26, 2006 it was launched to everyone 13 years of age and older who had a valid email address. Let the friend requests begin! Four years later, Facebook now has over 350 million users worldwide.

So what does 350 million users mean to marketers? A potential goldmine!

A profile is a person’s Facebook sanctuary. It’s where they determine exactly what information they are ready to share with the world, and potential marketers. Divulging information such as sex, age, location, birthday, education, workplace and interests are all filters used by marketers to help focus their approach when targeting prospective customers. It’s my birthday and look at that! An ad just showed up for Clunky’s Clown Service!

Here are some staggering statistics from the Facebook pressroom: 50 per cent of active users log onto Facebook in any given day; more than 35 million users update their status each day; pages – like a profile, but for individuals or businesses, and other people become your “fans” – have created more than 5.3 billion fans; and more than 700,000 local businesses have active pages.

Mike Murphy, vice-president of media sales for Facebook, offered this advice to marketers: While bringing your brand to Facebook has tremendous potential, there are some things to be aware of beforehand.

Be a part of the experience. Advertising in Facebook is effective, but integrating your brand and making it exciting for consumers is where marketers are having the most success. 


Maintain a daily dialogue. Nothing new to those who live and breathe social media. Conversations don’t happen when only one side is talking. 


Give them a reason to share. Empower consumers (and brand evangelists) to connect to one another by giving them stuff they can use and stuff they want.

Advertising on Facebook is done using an auction system and pay-per-click. When setting up an ad, the marketer defines what filters it requires and Facebook then generates a suggested rate. The rate you auction will determine your ranking on Facebook’s ad list, and ultimately decide how often your ad is shown. Choosing the lowest pay-per-click – a penny – will ensure you’re at the bottom of the barrel. You literally get what you pay for.

However, Facebook is not about direct sales. It is about relationship marketing. Marketers using this medium must understand that success cannot be attained or measured instantaneously. Rather, it is an investment that can see results over time, depending on how well you connect with your target market and the strength of the relationships you build.

Facebook must face its own conundrum about serving as a conduit for marketing. As more and more marketers are realizing the potential reach of this application, there are more and more marketers trying to get in on the action. It is crucial that Facebook does not become greedy and allow this portion of its revenue stream to dominate. An oversaturation of intrusive advertising will take away from the sole purpose and functionality of the website and could potentially make users tune-out and lose interest.

Oh, I have another friend request! Monique’s Tuxedo & Bridal Shop wants to be my friend! That’s what I get for changing my relationship status to engaged.

Jamie Slade is an account manager with Outcrop Communications in Yellowknife.