Written By: Andy Ogg, Editor and Marketing Director
At one point, in the not so distant past, Facebook reigned as the “almighty” of the social networks for marketing a business. With very little competition and most platforms struggling to catch up, Facebook boosted to #1 quickly and efficiently. However, things have changed in recent years and with some negative press, data breaches and a much more complicated user experience, is it still the place for your business to market?
To ensure your marketing on social media is worth your invested time and effort, it’s important to review the platform, audience and how effective it is in achieving your goals for your business. Today we will dive into Facebook and where it stands today.
Before doing so, it’s important to not only know all of the options for social media marketing but also to have a plan in place. Answering questions like “What is my goal of marketing on social media” is one of many that you should be considering. For some it is to drive traffic to their website, for some it is for brand and business awareness, for others it may be to create a group or following of qualified leads. Whatever your reasoning is, ensure that every action taken has your goal as the end result. After all, posting to Facebook 5 times a day is great but if it doesn’t bring in new business, is it worth it?
Facebook – By the Numbers
As of July 25th, 2018, Facebook reported 2.23 Billion active users worldwide and 214 Million active users in the United States. Nearly 1.5 Billion log onto Facebook daily and interact with the content shown.
It’s safe to say that Facebook is the largest social media platform today but even with that success, does it hold the correct demographic of user for your niche travel business?
According to a report by Statista, the most popular age group using Facebook is between 25 and 34. In a close second we will find users aged between 35 and 44.
Facebook also holds an interesting user shift as age increases. As the age of users increase, the percentage of female users increase, overshadowing the active male users. In the age group of 55 – 64 for example, there is a 2% difference between active female users and active male users with females in the lead. 2% may not seem like much but when you are talking about 2.23 Billion, it is.
On top of the above, below are 10 intriguing facts shared by lyfemarketing.com:
1. 68% of all adults in the United States use Facebook.
2. 76% of Facebook users visit the platform each day.
3. The average user spends about 50 minutes each day on Facebook’s channels.
4. Overall, 83% of women and 75% of men use Facebook.
5. On average, people access Facebook about 8 times each day.
6. 42% of millennials can’t go 5 hours without checking Facebook.
7. Over 5 million businesses are using Facebook ads to reach their target audiences.
8. 49% of Facebook users like a brand’s page to show their support.
9. 94% of social media marketers are using the Facebook ad platform.
10. 62% of marketers find Facebook to be their most important social media channel.
Facebook for Business
We know that Facebook is the largest and now we know a bit about the users but is it right for your business? Well, 45% of marketers say yes. In fact, they say that it isn’t just right for your business but a critical part of successful social media marketing. While having your business on Facebook is free, reaching people is not and will most likely become an advertising expense for your business if you choose to focus on Facebook.
So if your Facebook page isn’t reaching your “likes” organically, what’s the point you may wonder? Well, the truth is that content posted to Facebook directly affects your businesses page placement when users search for keywords or a service. It also heavily increases the search engine optimization (SEO) of your business website when cross linked.
Facebook for Business: The Ads
The shift from organic impressions to paid impressions really took hold in 2010 when the algorithm used by Facebook changed. The motto “If you aren’t paying, no one is seeing it” really grabbed hold. The sad part of this change was that many brands and businesses spent countless hours and efforts to build a substantial fan base or “likes” and once this new algorithm took place, it just didn’t have the same effect.
In today’s Facebook climate, to reach “likes” of your business page, you will need to “boost” your post. This can be done in your Facebook Ad’s Manager or directly on the page itself. Once you decide to go this route, you can select key markets, age, gender, location and even if you want the content to show on desktop, mobile or both. The ability to refine your key market is a fantastic resource, however, it still doesn’t offer that organic reach that was once very effective.
The Verdict
As we all know, specialization in the Travel industry is an absolute must. The more defined your niche is, the more of an expert you become and the more travel you will ultimately sell. Facebook is the largest social media platform in todays digital market and offers the greatest reach as a result.
Focusing your social media marketing efforts on Facebook can undoubtedly be one of the most rewarding ways to increase your business by reaching new clients, establishing your brand and furthering your placement as an expert in your niche. However, it must be done so with a plan. With no plan, you may spend countless hours posting and sharing, with little to no results.
So if you enjoy using Facebook and Facebook holds your target audience, it’s time to dig in. It’s time to create a marketing plan and get to work.
Resources:
https://zephoria.com/top-15-valuable-facebook-statistics/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/187041/us-user-age-distribution-on-facebook/
https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33571/12-revealing-marketing-stats-about-facebook-for-business.aspx