“You’re on Facebook?!”

This is the question that my 21-year-old brother asked me when he found out that I was on Facebook. I asked him to be my “friend” and a few hours later I got the frantic phone call. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was not pleased. I explained to him that I was introduced to the social network by a coworker and felt compelled to see what it was all about. Since I am in the advertising industry, I wanted to learn how brands were interacting with consumers, what the ads looked like and what possibilities were out there for other brands. I promised that I would not check out his pictures and not ask to be “friends” with any of his college buddies at Emory University. I lied. Checking out his pictures and learning about how he spends his weekends at the frat house and bars was truly entertaining. As his older and wiser sister, I felt it was important to tell him that the employed-folks, such as hiring managers and bosses also belong to these social networking sites and they’re out to find out information about prospective candidates. A person on an interview can tell one side of the story, but a profile on Facebook or MySpace can truly tell the other side of the story. That one piece of advice hit home with my brother. The next day all the pictures were off and a lovely, smiling, clean shaved face was the new profile picture. Needless to say, I was relieved.

Besides the “friending” aspect of Facebook, there is a long list of activities to participate in. Spending more time on the social network and reading about the new trends for the future enticed my appetite to get more involved. In a previous blog, I mentioned the various applications that Gillette has for their fan base. However, the reality is that there are many brands on Facebook and more people are getting hooked. Additionally, in Social Networks: Five Consumer Trends for 2009, a recent eMarketer report explains that the social networking audience is growing rapidly. According to the study, “In 2008, 79.5 million people, or 41% of the US Internet user population, visited social network sites at least once a month, an 11% increase from 2007. By 2013, an estimated 52% of Internet users will be regular social network visitors.”


While there is steady growth in the number of people getting hooked to these social networking sites, there has to be something in it for the brands. Are they actually making money? Are they satisfied with consumers just interacting with their brand? Do they think that consumers will try their product simply because they put a fun interactive game on Facebook?

I recently read an article in Ad Age Digital that answered some of my questions at best. I thought it was worth sharing since I am sure many people have similar questions. The article explains that Facebook’s strategy has been focused on growth at the expense of advertising. However, Facebook is testing new models to gauge consumer interaction.

I don’t know about other people, but I like going on the site to check out what my friends are up to. I stay within my own community of friends and love to read their updates and see new pictures of their family and children. To date, I have a Friendster account and a Facebook account. I am on the verge of cancelling my Friendster account and have no interest in signing up for a MySpace account. Ask me in a few months if my account status has changed.