Transmsion

Harnessing the Power of Facebook Data
MicroStrategy GatewayTM for Facebook

Companies Must Embrace the Social Network Phenomenon

The emergence of social networks has not just changed how people communicate and share information with one another. It has the power to fundamentally change business in ways that are just beginning to be discovered. The socialnetwork is no longer just an interesting technological showcase; it is a cultural phenomenon and the most disruptive technological force in society today.

Businesses, celebrities, and brands must embrace social networking as an unprecedented advertising and marketing opportunity. They must find ways to leverage the social network and the data it contains to expand the customerbase, foster loyalty, and improve the customer experience.

Of all the social networks in place today, Facebook is the single most important one for business because of its size and depth of data, and because it has the most open network for business applications. Facebook is where consumers go to engage with others and where companies should be going to engage with consumers.

All YourCurrent and Future Customers are on Facebook

As of mid-2011, there were 750 million people on Facebook. 250 million of those people access Facebook from a mobile device and are thus constantly connected to the social network. Every day, hundreds of thousands more join Facebook and fill out a profile with their personal information. That’s 750 million people around the world –and growing – using Facebook every single day and updating information about themselves, what they like, and where they’ve been, and connecting to their friends.

Some of these people may, in fact, already be a customer of your organization and you just don’t know it. It’s more likely, however, that millions of these people are not your customers. Neglecting to use Facebook as asource of new business and customer retention could mean many lost opportunities.

Current Consumer Data Resides on Facebook
Facebook has become the world’s most comprehensive and up-to-date database of personal demographics and interests. Millions of socially active people rely on Facebook as their primary communication tool. This is evidenced by the fact that 48% of 18-34 yearolds check Facebook as soon as they wake up.

As part of their daily communication, millions of Facebook users contribute personal information, including their name, birth date, location, education, employer, check-ins, interests, contact information, event RSVPs, and so much more. Individuals are not prompted to update this information. They do it willingly as a natural part oftheir social interaction and networking.

Millions of People Connect to One Another and with Companies, Brands, and Communities on Facebook
The average Facebook user is socially connected with 130 other people on Facebook. In addition, Facebook users create interest connections when he or she “likes” a Facebook page. The average Facebook user has interest connections to 80communities, groups, companies, brands, and celebrities1.

Interest connections form the basis for information dissemination from company to fan and also provide an invaluable “interest map” of each user. These interest maps could allow your company to personalize its messages to your fans. The result: marketing and messaging that is more relevant, delivered directly to theconsumers with whom it will have the most impact.

1 Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics, August 2011.
2 Schwartz Communications



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