Do you remember the old Faberge shampoo TV commercial that described you telling two friends about it, “and so on, and so on.”
YouTube has a version of the commercial available here.
Before long the TV screen was filled with little thumbnails of people showing the simple multiplicative power of “telling two friends.”
So what does a shampoo commercial from the 80s have to do with Facebook?
I’m glad you asked…
The Facebook Effect
The average person on Facebook has 120 friends.
As my dad used to say, “so what does this have to do with the price of tea in China?”
Well, the VAST majority of internet marketers are touting Facebook as THE replacement for Google PPC advertising. Many go so far to claim that Google Adwords is dead.
According to the Wall Street Journal online their claims might be a bit premature…
Now, I’ve used Google Adwords for PPC marketing since 2003.
And I first discovered Facebook advertising back in November 2007. My first successful PPC campaign on Facebook started in 2008 and I’ve used it on and off ever since, depending on the product or service being marketed.
Both platforms have strengths and weaknesses.
Pluses and minuses.
But that’s not the point.
You see, what MOST internet marketers fail to mention is that using Facebook as a source of cheap traffic based on PPC tells you only HALF THE STORY.
And not even the most interesting half.
Let me explain…
Facebook vs. Email Marketing
Now let’s return to the fact that the average Facebook user has 120 friends.
How can you leverage that piece of information for maximum effectiveness?
Think for a minute about how traditional email marketing works.
You struggle to build your email list (gone are the easy-breezy days of a few years ago). Next you send your list stuff by autoresponder OR you set up a “blog blast” to automatically distribute content to your list.
That’s all fine and good.
Now, let me ask you something… how many of your “list members” email YOUR content to THEIR friends?
I can tell you the answer. ZERO.
It ain’t gonna happen.
Now let’s turn to Facebook, and more specifically what happens when you set up a Facebook PAGE for your business.
You write an article for your blog. You post the link of your article on your Facebook page.
Now let’s say you have 10 fans.
Based on the average number of friends each fan may have, here’s what happens. Each FAN automatically sees your new post on their news feed, complete with image and link.
And the best part is… so do their friends.
Time for a little math. 10 fans with 120 friends equals 1200 people with a good chance to see your new post listed in their news feed.
Work your way up to 100 fans and the number of people seeing your content climbs to 12,000 people.
Three things will happen if you post good content AND you’re in a niche that resonates with a Facebook crowd:
- Friends of your FANS will become FANS (allowing you to reach more poeple)
- You will get traffic to your site
- You may generate new sales (provided your website can convert traffic)
Can email marketing generate sales? YES.
Can email marketing help grow your list virally? Not in a million years.
‘Nough said…
Would You Like Expert Guidance?
Whether you have worked with another web marketing firm in the past, OR you have been working at improving your website by yourself, here’s what you can do right now…
Call us to schedule a no-strings-attached phone consultation.
That’s it.
Call 888-542-2936 & Leave a Message!
After you call I will personally follow up with you to schedule a mutually convenient time to discuss your web sales, goals, and long-term plans.
And if it makes sense for the both of us to pursue a working relationship, we’ll decide together.
We can help you with a wide range of services, such as facebook advertising and web content writing services (to name a few).
The choice is yours…
