Almost everyone knows Facebook and associates it with social networking.
With over 400 million users, Facebook is enormously popular and has grown from its roots as a tool for students to its current dominance in only 6 years.
Originally used primarily for personal communications, it is in pole position (according to some commentators responding to the recent Facebook conference in San Francisco) to play a key role in the future of the networked web.
Facebook is constantly evolving, and is perhaps the most influential social media site.
Today, firms like Ernst and Young are using their Facebook pages not only to improve communications between their own employees (fantastic for synergistic relationships and to create a sense of loyalty to the firm) but are encouraging new clients by dispersing timely and knowledgeable cutting-edge information to those who 'like' it (clicking 'like' means you in effect allow the firms Facebook page access to yours - of which much more will be written soon).
Rather than pushing products and services, Facebook allows a marketing strategy that communicates with everyone involved (from employees to clients) and allows you to flesh out what you actually do.
This extra content feeds into your homepage's popularity, raises the profile of the film and promotes access to a wider audience.
(You have to be careful to monitor for negative comments though - later, we'll have a list of cautionary tales about less successful uses of social media.)
Continue to Guide to Business Uses for Social Media Part 5: Blogging
