500 Million

Last week Facebook accomplished a pretty impressive feat, surpassing half a billion user accounts. With 500 million users and counting, it’s hard to keep your draw from dropping, running to the nearest computer and figuring out how your company can more effectively leverage Facebook to reach a population that is only surpassed by China and India.

Numbers Tell Half the Story

Facebook has an incredibly large user base, but it is not mass media. It’s anything but because it is made up of countless, tiny connections. The average Facebook user has 130 friends. This means that each person sees and interacts with an incredibly small percentage of the Facebook community.

Target Those That Matter to You

It’s impossible to speak to everyone on Facebook, and trying will only lead to failure. Success comes from targeting the influencers within those small connections with a relevant message that is custom to them, not everyone. With the right message and strategy, those influencers will communicate your message to their own communities and its members will spread your message to other communities throughout Facebook.

Facebook is Complicated

The web of connections that is Facebook is complex. Tapping into a community with a targeted message spells success on the platform. Being all things to all people will never work on Facebook or any other marketing platform.

As a marketer, you need to be able to answer who your Facebook Page is for and what they get from you, who is on Facebook that is a potential influencer for your brand and how can you speak to them and finally, who can you speak to on Facebook if you cannot speak to everyone?

Go out there and get on Facebook, but remember who your audience is and what you need to say them. Numbers aren’t everything, the people who make up those numbers are.