According to Facebook statistics site CheckFacebook.com, the global Facebook audience is nearly 475 million. According to U.S. Census Bureau, the current population of the United States is roughly 310 million. This makes Facebook the 3rd largest country in the world behind China and India.
Also according to CheckFacebook.com, over 125 million people in the United States use Facebook. A quick check of the math means about 40% of U.S. citizens spend part of their data on the social networking site.
Those are some staggering statistics considering how quickly the Facebook nation has grown and more importantly, how passionate of an audience they’ve become. Recent estimates indicate Facebook users spend about 44 minutes a day on the website communicate with their friends.
For a numbers guy like myself, this remarkable data illustrates the true depth of this social network and the raw potential of what it could become. The scary part for marketers is that this virgin territory is filled with jagged cliffs and deep crevasses. Just like on Mount Everest, the Facebook marketing sherpas are busy exploring the terrain and searching for safe paths up the mountain for themselves and their followers.
Understanding this analogy and respecting the mountain is certainly good advice for any brand or business looking to leverage themselves on Facebook. Even more importantly, before beginning your ascent, it’s imperative to be thoroughly prepared with a clear plan, secondary alternatives and plenty of resources for what could be a scary climb.