Recently, the world celebrated one of the world’s most popular social networking platforms, Facebook’s 10th birthday. Mark Zuckerburg has indeed changed the way we communicate, and it’s hard to believe that it was only 10 years ago that we were introduced to thefacebook.com, and since then the world, and how it communicates, has not been the same.
10 years later, Facebook has become a powerful tool for online marketing. It didn’t take too long for corporates and brands to take a liking to Facebook and realise the inherent benefits of the platform. A shift in appeal, Facebook fast became more than just a social platform for friends and family, it morphed into a business tool no brand could go without. It allowed brands to reach audiences that were previously unreachable, with a click of a button. Over the years, Facebook has evolved into an influential marketing tool for driving sales by way of referral of users to the brands’ Facebook page and, ultimately, the brands’ websites.
Businesses have realised the importance of developing, and having, sound social media strategies. Many are also turning to the social media site to advertise, in an effort to improve sales. Buying of advertising on Facebook is a big attraction for businesses looking to adapt to the social media trends. Advertising is also a major cash source for Facebook – the social network currently makes the majority of its money from advertising. This can be viewed as an endorsement of Facebook advertising; it is seen as a viable option.
Facebook has come a long way in the last ten years. The Facebook of today is different to the one of 10 years ago. It has seen a shift from the original “college kids”, who are currently moving away from the platform, for ad-free sites like Instagram; ads are not what they are looking for. It is the older generation, the ones with buying power, that have remained and this is not a bad thing.
Facebook is now a mainstream tool and is firmly entrenched as a default social platform for millions of people around the globe, who use the platform to foster relationships with family members and friends faraway.
