Ah Facebook. Imagining the world without it is like trying to remember what we did before Google. Oh wait, the world didn’t exist then.
I’d say that most of my friends spend roughly three hours a day on Facebook. No, I don’t have stats and research to back that up. I’m basing it on how many times I hear it in conversation.
I’m somewhat of a generational anomaly, in that I’m a 20-something who is not “addicted” to Facebook. Well, at least not in the sense I listed above. I love sitting at Starbucks with my Macbook, but I always wind up watching YouTube videos instead of perusing my friends’ photo albums.
I prefer to participate in another kind of Facebook stalking. I stalk new applications. It’s fascinating to discover what you can do to a page or profile with relative ease and basic computer skills.
Applications run the gamut from just plain fun to business builders. My favorites include:
- The FBML box. Why limit yourself to the standard information boxes? Add an FBML box, drop in some code and let the customization begin.
- My LinkedIn profile. Crossing social networks can tie different audiences together and engage them across platforms.
- RSS Blog Feed Reader. A simple and organized way to pull your blog posts onto page. Neat, tidy and reminder-free.
In addition to applications, Facebook offers advertising campaigns. It’s cost effective, time effective and, well, just plain effective. We recently ran an ad for two weeks and received 1 million impressions and 245 clicks. Fans doubled and we successfully reached our target audience. Results will vary of course, but this program – which targeted just Birmingham-area commuters – cost our client less than $300, So there’s advertising to fit any budget.
Not only do I relish the opportunity to build pages and ads, I love the interaction pages spark. An organization’s Facebook page is a forum for two-way communication with an engaged audience. What could be better, or more at the heart of public relations, than that?
And that’s what it’s all about folks – relationships. Developing, maintaining and refining relationships with people who support your cause, product, idea or service. Creating a place where they can talk to you and each other. It’s pretty amazing when I step back and think about it. It makes perfect sense why almost everyone I know spends a good portion of their week on Facebook.
I guess I’m no longer an exception. I am “addicted” to Facebook. Maybe I can join a support group. I bet there’s a page for that.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman specializes in building and maintaining relationships with the media and has an excellent track record of landing significant placements in print and broadcast media including USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Money Magazine.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Matt helps organizations protect and advance their reputations and bottom lines through strategic communications programs. Using creativity, planning and flawless execution, he works with a team to deliver compelling public relations campaigns that produce results and support clients’ business objectives.