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I recently discussed Twitter as a great source of traffic to sites, but the even more popular Facebook can do and is doing the same thing. In fact, reports have Facebook driving even more traffic than Google to some big-name sites.
Facebook gets over a third of the number of unique visitors that Google does according to comScore. And it continues to grow. Compete shows the lines between Google and Facebook getting closer together:
"It seems inevitable that, given Facebook’s sheer scale (180 million registered users and counting), it would at some point start referring a lot of users to some sites, but the development is surprising," says AdAge’s Michael Learmonth. "Web users go to Google to figure out where to go next; they go to Facebook to, well, hang out."
If Facebook’s growth continues the way it has been, perhaps it should be considered Google’s greatest threat (when I say threat, I mean competition) – maybe not in general search, but in terms of where advertisers are spending their money. Certainly in the foreseeable future, people will continue using Google to search, and advertisers will continue to spend money advertising with them (probably even more now that they are doing more targeting), but Facebook also targets, and it’s not going to be overlooked. It could put a dent into AdWords revenue.
Even within search advertising, Facebook should probably not be counted out. "Much of the Facebook-driven traffic comes from links that members post via areas like ‘Notes’ and photos," notes Tameka Kee at paidContent.org. "If Facebook’s influence as a traffic source continues to rise, the next step would be to figure out how to monetize the traffic to those areas with paid search. That would be one way to entice Microsoft to renew its search deal (and give Microsoft a better return on its $240 million investment in the social net)."
That’s an interesting thought, considering Microsoft’s lack of any mindblowing new features coming from its own search engine rebranding. They don’t have any real-time search features planned for Kumo, but Facebook has its own search (and it’s getting more Twitter-like).
So What Can Businesses Get Out of Facebook?
Many of the tactics I listed about Twitter can be applied with Facebook too. That includes:
- Traffic obviously. Social networks have taken over email in terms of popularity. Facebook is the top dog and continues growing rapidly.
- People can "opt in" to be your friend and see your messages. This means your messages will be targeted specifically to people who are interested in your product. It’s a great way to get announcements to loyal customers.
- Just like Twitter, it can be used as a great tool for customer service, provided somebody keeps up with it.
- You can interact with the public while increasing brand awareness.
- You can watch what people are saying on Facebook about your business and use that information to manage your online reputation.
- Facebook advertising. They provide targeted ads (based on user profiles) and as mentioned above, Facebook gets a third of what Google does (that’s a lot) in unique visitors.
- Facebook apps (including one that will let you post right to Twitter from Facebook) make the possibilities near endless. Many apps even have further advertising opportunities.
- Twitter has a great many of the same advantages (and is certainly growing rapidly as well), but it also has a lot of skeptics. Facebook is much more widely accepted as a great social network.
>>>Are you seeing traffic from Facebook? Comment here.
…Give us you tips on driving Facebook traffic and business…
I use Facebook regularly for both personal and business use – for my own business, as well as for my clients. An ever-increasing amount of my website traffic is being driven from Facebook to my website. I absolutely recommend that business owners take a good look at the idea of utilizing Facebook (as well as leveraging other social platforms) as a vehicle to extend their reach and increase their web presence.
Again, as usual we are back to conversion. That’s great that Facebook drives traffic. That is real interesting, wow, I am excited. Can’t you tell?
I would be allot more excited that Facebook traffic converts.
Like WOW REALLY? A social site that delivers traffic that buys something? HOW Cool, that is really something there.
Anybody that does not sell Internet marketing products got any numbers on Facebook traffic that converts?
I can pull 3000 visitors from StumbleUpon at the drop of a hat, will they convert? Not at all. It would be nice to see Facebook change that.
Also realize that that many Facebookers do not even know what a blog is or have a real site.
Many of the new flood of Facebookers are MySpace refugees that are bailing out of a sinking ship (or sewer it’s up to you) and are 20 something kids looking for dating and the opposite sex.
Even though I am all about business online and old in the eyes of these same kids, many of my friends are in the 20 something bracket, I have a unique window into what is really going on in the real world.
Also, I have way more luck with Facebook groups rather than driving traffic directly off Facebook. Facebook now has the two step method in place like MySpace with warnings about leaving Facebook for another site.
Just my two cents, have a good weekend everybody! – Chris Lang
Perhaps working at the networking aspect would help bring in an audience more likely to convert.
Our business set up a Facebook account for exactly the same reasons, but I agree with Chris, what percentage of these convert? Most people won’t deliberately look for web design companies through Facebook, so it’s simply an extra source of traffic.
I use facebook to promote my online business and I was create some groups for sending the latest news to the group members, it bring some traffic to my website.
ZZZzzz…
Use INSERT_LATEST_COOL_NETWORKING_SITE_IN_HERE to drive traffic to your site!!!111!1!111
Remember when it was Myspace? These sites are just popularity contests, and unless you put in a stupid amount of time, or you’re an internet/tv personality of some kind, then you won’t get enough followers on Twitter, or friends on Facebook to make any kind of difference.
I might look deeper into it again but I wasn’t a myspace fan, same counts for facebook. So I guess I’ll forget again about facebook.
Why, simple the time and effort it takes on both platforms to drive traffic to my sites.
Compare that to twitter, it took me 5 minutes to have it fully automated setup.
Now that’s a platform I like due to the simplicity, and I can’t complain as I get 100k extra pageviews/month on my sites thx to twitter.
And I did barely anything, very simple setup not high tech , amateur style that works http://ce-ezine.com/2009/02/16/ce-goes-twitter/
I’m in the process of setting up a Facebook “Page” for a client. Since their audience consists of people into a certain leisure activity which tends to be social, I think Facebook is a great place for them to get exposure. I’m not so sure, however, if the conversion for Facebook advertising is going to be competitive with Google Adwords, especially for smaller businesses. Maybe for big businesses that can’t spend enough of their marketing budget on search engine pay per click and need more eyeballs.
I’ve been using Facebook for a couple of years now and haven’t felt the need to click on ads. That’s because I’m not their looking for something, I’m there to do something. I think the comparison with a program like Adwords is apples and oranges. May be a good venue for a company with extra advertising money, but I don’t think it’s going to put a dent in search engine ppc spend.
Aroundabout way I discovered in regards to using Facebook,was after I created another lens on Squidoo,it asked me to “broadcast” it to Twitter,Facebook and Myspace!
Nothing beats the power of Social Networking.
yes, right
facebook as Social Networking help me much to get more traffic and gte more friend get back again
From a user’s perspective, I have found far more intriguing ads (based on my personal info) than I ever have searching on Google. They usually catch my attention more regardless of whether or not I convert.
http://bossy-girls.net has a page at facebook, http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1368694224&ref=profile No visitors from facebook come.
I’m on FaceBook as well as Twitter and other social site to socially market my safety and security web site. It’s time consuming but is free so it’s worth doing if you have time.
The Deadness of myspace after rising to the top and now
dropping down easily made me not to put much interest
in facebook, but really i have come to see its a good place
to get traffic and am starting to like using it often,
but still prefer twitter for now.
I use Facebook and Twitter daily to talk about my artwork and the artist’s path I’m on….I think it is a wonderful way to spread the word about what I’m up to with my paintings.
i wonder if in the future the local social network will get more importnace than the international social network sites.
We have just started using Facebook for marketing. The results are coming in slowly. Only time will tell.
I debate this issue all the time. Don’t drive traffic to your site if it’s not converting. However, this might not mean that the facebook crowd is the wrong market, it might simply mean that your website is not set up to correctly interact with these folks. Most people do not employ conversion tools necessary to take advantage of this traffic and as a result just complain that they are getting traffic and no customers.
I have always like Twitter,maybe because 140 is all the words i know. lol b.b
I just started a social media campaign – but nice advise.
thanks
c
We found that with the limitations of Facebook Ads & Google Adwords, you have to be very specific and focus your ads on the target. For example with Google, you can do this by location, and with Facebook, by social factors – age group, location etc. Therefore it is possible to be quite specific about the type of person you are trying to attract. Remember, targeting 5000 very specific people is much better than advertising to 500,000 random people.
Having said that, we ran several campaigns on Google and Facebook over a two-month period advertising seminars to beat the recession. We found that Facebook beat Google every time. We got responses much more quickly and better quality leads. Also the Google estimates for the number of clickthroughs were wildly inaccurate, whereas Facebook amazed us with the clickthroughs. At one point we had more traffic coming to our site from Facebook than everywhere else put together!
I am new to the Web for my new store at http://www.kimsboutique.com and am glad there are people out there to give advice to us newcomers. We need the help especially in this economy when no one has the extra to advertise but need the sales to feed thier children. Great advice, I just signed up with Facebook and found a bunch of friends I knew from highschool.
Wow i wanted to discuss this exact topic. My website @ http://www.newreleasewall.com had just been crawled by google and indexed for the first time few weeks ago.. Right away I put up facebook ads and I really didn’t spend much to get the couple hundred cheap clicks I did. I didn’t wanna spend any money on advertising yet really but i got over a million impressions in 1 week with facebook and that works for anybody with any marketing solution needed. Highly recommended to include alongside your googleadwords campaign or anything else you use.
Hi, Thanks for sharing these tips. Personally I like facebook easy to use features. While google have so many features and things which may be easy for web masters/SEO peoples but for a common web user like me are very complex.
Before reading this post I never tried Facebook for traffic purpose, but now it will help. Thanks
I have ads running on “the big three”(Google,Yahoo,MSN) and just started on Facebook two weeks ago and already can see a difference.
I have two websites
http://www.shoelacelock and http://www.bagalot2.com and they are both on Facebook.
I like the way you can target your potential customers better. You seem to have more control.
I didn’t think I would like the whole “social media” thing but I was wrong.
I was never on Facebook before, then I started to advertise and all of a sudden you start to get in touch with more people that you know and now I guess I’m hooked as well.So I guess I’m one of the 180 million.
IMO, Facebook is for targeting kids. I’m sure its useful but is a supplementary form of advertising, not an alternative to Google.
There’s no reason (budget permitting) not to use more than one tool at your disposal.
A great free help for facebook traffic
http://www.superadder.com/index.php
Yes I Think
Facebook Can Drive More Traffic Than Google
http://www.smsfloor.blogpsot.com
Sounds like many are having good results with this strategy. It is certainly worth looking in to.
Yes, face can drive great a traffic but than Google, one has to consider several factors.
How can facebook target traffic anything like google? people enter keywords into google to find what they are looking for. Even if peoples facebook peofile matches your keywords it you cant preume they are going to want to view your site.
Even when targeting traffic, facebook is the best!
when using google adwords you are targeting readers, but with facebook you are targeting people!
Facebook to me is a much more professional atmosphere than MySpace. It’a a great place to network with other adults. At the same time, Facebook is what you make of it. You can’t expect to just slap up a profile and see tons of traffic coming your way. It takes time and a whole lot of networking on your part.
Yes, I think people often overlook the networking aspect of social networking. A presence is more than just a profile.
I prefer not to live in illusion and we all knew the power of google worldwide. Facebook was just born a few years ago. I think time is the best answer for this question. But nothing is impossible, facebook has done real progress.
I advertise around the world on Facebook for a cent per click and find it to be exellent for real traffic. I like that its possible to add a photo with each campaign. Advertising on Facebook has made my website a lot more popular. More effective than Google Adwords.
Whenever I post anything new on my blog, I will put the link into my facebook status and I can see lots of traffic coming. Well, no hard work and it’s free too!