This is Why Social Media Matters for Business

Astonishing number of Facebook

• The most trafficked web site in the United States

• Has more than 400 million members of which 70% are outside the US

• 25% all US Internet page views are on Facebook

• 54% of all US Internet users are on Facebook

• Over 200 million people login everyday and spend an average of 55 minutes

• Members upload 10 million videos and about a billion photos every month

• More than 20 million people join Facebook pages everyday. Those pages have been “fanned” (and now “liked”) 5.3 billion times.

• People have pressed the "like" button more than 1 billion times in 2 months

• Members’ on average are 34 yrs old and have 130 friends

Pure and simple this is the WOW factor. This is not advocating Facebook taking over the internet. But truth is, Facebook is a force and something marketers need to incorporate into their short and long term strategies and I am not just talking about a domestic front, but more importantly the international stage. Think about it - 280,000,000 people from outside the US are utilizing Facebook. This is almost the size of the US by todays population numbers. In my opinion this information above is evidence of Social Media's strength in reaching people. Now translating this into a business opportunity is so mouth watering that many are failing miserably right now. Why? Well, because they forget this is a "SOCIAL Media" place. It is an electronic bar and who wants to be sold anything other than a beer and good conversation at a bar? No one!!

Ultimately these numbers have "OPPORTUNITY" written all of them, but businesses just have to tread lightly or else risk alienation from the very folks who pay for their office lights.