Why Twitter-loving PRs shouldn’t forget Facebook // Danny Whatmough.com

I wrote last week about the battle between Google and Facebook. Now there is more interesting research out which adds yet another subplot: according to Compete, Facebook has passed Google to become the top source for traffic to major portals like Yahoo and MSN, and is amongst the leaders for other types of sites too.

This follows news earlier this month that Facebook is now the 4th driver of traffic to major news sites.

Whilst for many businesses, Twitter is seen as the social network to use, it would be foolish to ignore the power of Facebook.

This preference towards Twitter was well founded. Twitter has a very open doors policy to brands, unlike Facebook – at least in the early days – when the emphasis was social networking between friends that you actually know.

This ‘walled garden’ was a scary place for brands (and the media) that didn’t want to experience a backlash from consumers.

But it is perhaps exactly this walled garden approach that makes Facebook such a hotbed of social media (and traditional media) sharing. Facebook networks are tighter, more controlled than the often sprawling connections that are made on Twitter.

Sharing on Facebook is perhaps less frequent than retweets on Twitter, but when it does happen, the effect can be significant, allowing brands to reach targeted and carefully curated networks of like-minded individuals.

And it’s not the no-go area for B2B companies that it was in the past. To my mind, social media blurs the boundaries between work and home, between professional and personal.

With 400m users worldwide, ignoring something this powerful is ludicrous.

Aliera Peterson

I think you make a good point about Facebook being a powerful driver of traffic and that interactions that do happen on Facebook (while they usually happen less frequently) can be more significant than interactions that happen elsewhere.

When creating a social media strategy, however, I think it's important to use the tools that complement your overarching media relations strategies and refrain from adding tools to your arsenal just because they're available.

Certain demographics like to hang out on one network more than others and it's important to know who you're looking to speak to when adding social media tools to a campaign. If your target prefers Facebook, then it makes sense to spend more time nurturing those relationships on a platform where they're comfortable rather than making broad sweeping strokes across all social media platforms.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Danny Whatmough

Thanks Aliera. I agree that finding your audience is of course key. But I wonder, as social networks get bigger, it might not necessarily be about which 'network' is most relevant, but which 'niche within a network' is most relevant... I feel another blog coming on about this...!
Paul Sutton

Totally agree, Danny. Facebook has the potential to be more effective than Twitter for brands, but it takes creativity and strategy to get right. Brands fail because they plough in without thinking things through and put up pages that add little value. Why be a fan of X brand just because it's on Facebook?

The creative angle is certainly applicable to consumer brands, but I believe it's tougher for B2B to be successful on Facebook as, unlike Twitter, Facebook is a more personal platform for friends. To break through this a B2B brand has to do something very special, don't you think?
Danny Whatmough

Thanks Paul - you are right, creativity is important here. Content is King and the quality of that content is all important.

The B2B one is interesting isn't it. Traditionally B2B brand may well have stayed clear from Facebook altogether, but I think this is changing...
James Warnette

You make some good points fella, but I think for every brand that has a successful campaign on Facebook, there will be another five that flounder, for various reasons. These reasons include a poorly thought out initial strategy, and actually assessing whether Facebook is the driver for that brand.

I know we keep saying it, but its still early days, nothing is cast in stone. I think its fun experimenting, working out what works and what quite frankly pees people off. Which neatly leads me to your closing remark. Facebook might have a big audience, but I've found more often than not, its the niche audience that pays dividends...
Danny Whatmough

Thanks James - I agree. I think in many ways, marketers have always been more wary of Facebook because it is harder to 'get right' - something you allude to. And you are also right to point out that targeting the right audience is vital too. However, I would suggest that as Facebook's dominance grows, finding and targeting the 'niche within the network' could be the way to go...

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