Facebook Page Statistics: Seeking Truth in Numbers
by Brandon Croke on 07/03/11 at 5:31 pm
Back in 2009 Sysmos did an analysis of over 600,000 Facebook Fan Pages and I had some old thoughts I jotted down that I never got to publish until today. Although the numbers may be a bit old, the principles behind their findings are timeless.
So many social media gurus love to tweet new research and statistics that come out on a daily basis, but you should really spend your time understanding the patterns and principles that remain the same no matter what platform your company might be working with.
Below is a list of the most popular Facebook Fan Pages in 2009 (in the website category). Although only one of the top five is an actual website, the Pages themselves shed light on some of the principles that underline social marketing.
Top Facebook Fan Pages in 2009
BIG PRIZE GIVEAWAYS. People join pages online to get discounts, promotions and free stuff. Although you may start attracting deal hungry fans, it’s not a bad idea to giveaway some things once in a while to keep your fans interested.
CHOCOLATE! What people love offline, translates into what they love online. Sorry tax attorneys, you’re just inherently not that social. If you sell chocolate you are probably going to get a lot more love than if you sell cabinets.
I Use My Cell Phone To See In The Dark. People like to connect with each other and share common experiences. It’s not always about your brand. Sometimes its about having fun and making a connection and community of people.
FML. People like to share trivial updates about their life and they also like to be an anonymous voyer into the trivial updates of others. If you don’t know what FML or what it stands for you can check it out here.
Prayer. Although some people like mind-numbing sites like FML, keep in mind just as many people are seeking a higher connection online. Whether they find meaning in religion, philosophy or the story behind your brand, you should begin considering what higher value you and your brand stands for.
We are moving from an age of abundance and stuff to an age of art and meaning.
Five takeaway questions to consider:
- Does your brand mean anything?
- Are you connecting with real people?
- Are you funny or entertaining?
- Do people love you offline?
- What are you giving away?
Remember “social marketing” isn’t really about technology and data analysis, it’s about people and meaning.
What do you think of these patterns? The data may be a bit old, but the principles will remain forever.Tweet
