Orange County Web design, SEO Writing, Internet Marketing::HQZ Experts

A recent article predicts that Facebook will soon own 50% of Online Retail By 2015.

That’s a pretty bold claim in light of some recent technology predictions that went wrong. Don’t get me wrong – you gotta acknowledge Facebook and the other social media sites for the huge population they bring. But here’s another stat – 95 percent of people who visit your Facebook page will never visit again. Why? Because Facebook is about THEM – not you – and they are “just not that into you”.

What do you really use Facebook for?

1. Letting your family and “friends” know what you are doing so you don’t have to pick up the phone and talk to them. They can check in once a week or once a month to see where you’ve been or see what you’ve been doing (often in too much excruciating detail)
2. See what you’ve been thinking – if you’ve been thinking. But at the end of the day – who cares that you are on the way to Starbucks?  Now, if you were on the way to Starbucks, but you got in an accident because you were reading and posting at the same time, and you ran into a post, or a parked car, but you’re ok…now that we might be interested in. We’d also think you are an idiot.  So you probably wouldn’t post that one.
3. If you are a business or organization – creating a company /organization page that will get you some links back to your website – and help you get found on Google. And hopefully bring you real, measurable revenue.

So everyone saying that Facebook is going to “kill” Google … c’mon give me a break. Or, saying that Facebook Will Be 50% Of Online Retail By 2015? As I said earlier – Hooey!

It will have some share though, based on ad sales. Facebook has to monetize itself. So, you will see more ads on Facebook, and that’s going to get interesting.

Why are people such lemmings? It’s all part of the “hype cycle” - we have already seen signs of the “trough of disillusionment”, and some of us are climbing the “slope of enlightenment”, and at some point we will reach the “plateau of productivity.”

But, what does that mean for our customers? To ourselves?  You better have a Linked In, Facebook and Twitter page that you can maintain for the least amount of time and cost and hassle in order to:

• Informing your public about "what's up" while not making a damn fool of yourself and your company by letting it “all hang out” with unplanned and pointless content.
• Making sure you are being "social" and not too "commercial"
• Ensure you are getting your links -- while not looking too obvious about it (ok, this is a little cynical.)

And, finally at some point, you must consider buying Facebook advertising – and maybe now is the time, while it’s still relatively cheap.  And hey, if you have time to figure this all out yourself, and a way to measure the ROI of what you’re doing, have at it. Otherwise, will that be cash, check or charge?

Tanis Campbell
© 2011