Facebook is a social networking website which were launched early 2004, it has radically changed the ways of how people connect with one another. The last research had shown, in July 2011 Facebook had over 750 million active users. It is one of the most dominated sites in the western world with indication of it accounts for almost 10% of total time spent online by the U.S web users. Some users may even consider Facebook as a new tool of getting to know each other and new effective communication methods (Rayport 2011).
Nowadays, there is an up-coming trend within the marketing world as for businesses to promote its products or services online especially targeting ads in Facebook. There are plenty of benefits for businesses to use Facebook application as their marketing tools. Likewise, rising brand awareness through the social network of Facebook. The site is becoming more popular amongst a wide range of demographics groups and, it would create a great target market for businesses to build a certain relationship with consumers and prospects. There are many other benefits such as customer engagement with the latest update of wall post, events and certain news. While businesses can gain a certain group of target audience it would certainly brings a good client retention or brand loyalty (Phang 2011, Levy 2010).
In certain sense, by promoting online can create awareness along with other good benefits but it can also gain certain disadvantages which may break the businesses. Once businesses have upload its information online, they are no longer in control of how the information were interpret by the consumers, some may misunderstand certain businesses purpose. By prompting business online it may give a better marketing budget yet it is a time consuming process. If certain businesses did not make a certain break through or catchy promotions, it is very possible its products or services may never sells. Once businesses have join to be the user of Facebook and starts its marketing promotion, people will expect regular updates with access to the information on the products websites. If by any chance both updates and sites were not down for maintenance, it is highly unlikely consumer will return for the products or services. (Mayfield 2008, Phang 2011, Evans 2010)
There is always exceptional success with particular brands or businesses, such as Volkswagen. For Volkswagen, the businesses had expanded its connection with consumers by registering its business to be one of the active users of Facebook. The strategies for VW to interact with the public were to create individual sites for all of its cars. Volkswagen has utilized the Facebook networking by provided the next stage of connection with customized recommendation for users in the choice of vehicle through provided user’s profile. (Levy 2010)
The overall use of Facebook social media are seen to be very good tool for businesses to take into account. Yet the use of Facebook marketing strategies may only create certain success to particular products or services as it is all about targeting the right audience group in order to create sales.
References:
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Dunay, P & Krueger, R 2011, Facebook Marketing For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons Inc, US Hoboken, viewed 24th August 2011, EBL Books Online.
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Evans, L 2010, Social Media Marketing: Strategies for engaging in Facebook, Twitter& other social media, Indianapolis, viewed 23th August 2011, Safari Tech Books Online.
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Levy, J. R 2010, Facebook Marketing: designing your next marketing campaign, Indianapolis.
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Mayfield, A 2008, What is Social Media?, viewed 24th August 2011, iCrossing Online Book.
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Phang, A 2011, Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet Marketing, viewed 23rd August 2011, < >
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Rayport, J, F 2011, What is Facebook, Really?, viewed 23rd August 2011, <http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/02/what_is_facebook_is_becoming.html>
