This blog has published stats touting the benefits of Google+ and LinkedIn, so today, it’s Facebook’s turn. To say that Facebook is good for marketing is like saying water is wet. The concept is so obvious to most people, that we often don’t give it a second thought. But in the wake critiques from naysayers, who constantly claim that Facebook is a day away from collapse, it’s good to review the most recent data about the social media giant. Here are 10 stats that show Facebook is still at the top of the social media marketing world.
Even people not on Facebook view it’s contents. According to Pew Research Center, 24 percent of non-Facebook users who live in the same household as someone who uses the site look at photos or posts on that person’s account.
The same Pew Research Center report found that 64% of US Facebook users visit the site daily, up from 51% in 2010. This mean that the site is not only growing in membership, but also in the frequency at which people visit the site.
As businesses try to turn social media fans into shoppers, they would be wise to note that Facebook drives 60% of all social shopping traffic, according to Richrelevance.
The social media platform is the most popular way for large businesses to reach individuals. BIA/Kelsey reported that 57.9 percent of national businesses use Facebook pages for local promotions, compared to just 37 percent for Google.
Facebook is also an ideal way to market local products. According to a different report from BIA/Kelsey, more than 60 percent of all US consumers use Facebook to look for local information. More specifically, the study reported 61 percent of Hispanic consumers use Facebook for local shopping, compared to 67 percent of non-Hispanics.
The popularity of Facebook among mobile users can be seen through research from comScore. In just three months, 86 percent of US mobile internet users used Facebook via browsers or apps in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Facebook is the platform of choice for people who aren’t big into social media. Back in February, Pew Research Center reported that 84 percent of US online adults who use only one social network use Facebook.
As was discussed in a previous article on this blog, Shareaholic reported that people referred by links on Facebook spend an average of 127.44 minutes on sites, view 2.03 pages per visit, and have a bounce rate of 56.35 percent. Percentage wise, other social networks post slightly better numbers, but the massive difference in the amount of content shared on Facebook skews the numbers.
Facebook is also the obvious choice for content marketers. ShareThis reported that 56 percent of all online content is shared through Facebook, compared to 12 percent for Pinterest, 10 percent for Twitter, and 7 percent via email.
For companies that want to build their brand recognition, Facebook is an effective tool. DOMO reported that Brands and organizations receive 34,722 likes on Facebook each minute. Additionally, Facebook users share 684,478 pieces of content each minute.
All of these stats were released during the past six months and they paint a clear picture of a platform that is only growing in usefulness to marketers and users. It’s also worth considering that these statistics are all from before Facebook’s recent round of changes that will make the platform better for marketers and business owners. When it comes to social media marketing, Facebook is still king of mountain. Like it or lump it, we’ll be talking about the media giant for years to come.