It is projected that Facebook will have one billion users by 2013. The world has just over two billion internet users globally which means that nearly one in two people on the web is a Facebook user.

Facebook as a marketing medium cannot be ignored despite the misgivings of senior management (who grew up in the analog world of Print, TV and Radio) to commit marketing dollars to something their daughter uses to post Saturday night party photos on!

Many CEO’s do not know the difference between a “Brand” Facebook “page” and a personal Facebook profile!

The penetration of the digital social web world into our lives is not a fad that is going away, it is here and it must be embraced.

Bricks and mortar retailers are bringing down the shutters while online shops are feasting on their carcasses and going global with the viral marketing power of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Some Revelations

93% of Facebook users share shopping suggestions
Brands are only responding to 50% of brand page posts
80% of users who received a response to their post made a purchase as a result of the interaction
47% of companies have generated leads from Facebook
41% of companies have closed deals from Facebook
Average cost of obtaining a fan is $1.07
Almost two-thirds of businesses surveyed use Facebook as their main marketing tool
87% of Facebook fans said they are satisfied with a particular brand. Only 49% of non-fans said they did
The cost per click using Facebook advertising for e-commerce is 31 cents