andydidyk.com

In spite of some of my previous criticisms of Facebook, I have finally taken the plunge and signed up for a Facebook page.  At first, it was simply a practical tactic to try and maintain some traffic to site during my difficulties with Google, but I’ve since continued to use it and update it to finally see what exactly my peers had said I was missing out on.  A couple of initial observations:

1.  It’s fun to get friend invitations from both your current cadre of friends and from people you haven’t spoken to in years.

2.  99% of the communication I’ve received thus far has, in fact, confirmed my initial assertions about Facebook: fun, but not much more than interesting entertainment for now.

3.  I can absolutely understand the immense economic value of marketing on a network like Facebook.  The opportunity to use the data contained within posts, status updates, associtions, groups, etc., is like having the largest and most detailed marketing database available.  Oh, and did I mention that the majority of Facebook users fall within the most desirable demographic in terms of discretionary income?

4.  Every interactive agency should have a Facebook and Myspace strategy for their clients if their target audience’s demographics (and attitudes!) fall within the required parameters.

5.  Within a few days of joining, my Facebook page rocketed up to the #1 search result in Google for my name.  In addtion to the day-to-day banter being fun, it’s also another great way for potential clients to find me (although I wish this site would get re-indexed by Google a little faster).

I know these observations are probably pretty obvious to anyone who has already joined, but for professional folks who don’t find a lot of value in it at first, I can say it’s probably worth setting a page up and seeing what happens.