Facebook infographics: Social media stats and online consumer trends

I use Facebook a lot. For personal connections and for business. I manage my own company's Facebook page along with various client Facebook pages. And like many of you, I know it can be hard to keep up with and sometimes, hard to understand the enormity of Facebook's influence on consumers.

Nielsen's State of the Media: Social Media Report Q3 (2011) provides useful statistics regarding social media use and online consumer trends. If you're looking for numbers to back up your cause (or convince your boss it's worth everyone's time to check out what social media can do for your organization), the report is a good place to start.

In America, more time is spent on Facebook than on any other website. Likewise, for every one Facebook “like,” a consumer will visit a retailer’s website an average of 20 times throughout the year.

At Allée, we gathered some of the most recent Facebook statistics from Nielsen, Buddy Media, Constant Contact and Hitwise related specifically to retail brands and came up with the Facebook Statistics for Retail Brands Infographic based on key findings.

Here's something major to consider: 76% of consumers say they’ve never “unliked” a brand on Facebook. Your job? Figure out how to engage your audience and capture those Facebook brand page “likes” because once you do, it’s likely you’ll have a fan for life. It's not just about updating your Facebook page when you have something to sell or an event to promote, either. Engage in conversation. Understand the needs and wants of your customers and create relevant, compelling content that addresses those needs.

Once you have your content strategy done, figure out your posting game plan. You might want to try your hand on Wednesdays. According to Buddy Media, Wednesday overthrew Sunday as the best time to post Facebook updates with engagement up 8% over other days of the week.

And pay attention to the reason you’re gaining Facebook “likes.” Constant Contact revealed that 58% of your Facebook fans are customers and another 57% are looking for discounts and promotions. So enough of the “for new customer only” gimmicks. Engage your current customers and give them what they ask for. Float a few weekly coupons their way and give them the heads up on service specials or deals (just be mindful of how often your promotional posts go out; you need a good mix of promo and non-promo related content).

And here's my last tip for today: Lately, I've been coming across busines Facebook pages that do not have vanity URLs. No one wants to see a long, cumbersome link to a Facebook page (or worse yet, have it listed on a promotional flyer and have to type the entire string in). If you haven't set a customized URL/username for your Facebook page, do so now. It takes 2 minutes. Visit the Facebook username page (once you're logged in to your account) and it will walk you through the steps to set your custom URL. Easier to promote and easier to search for those who have not "liked" your business yet.

Melissa Harrison is CEO and principal at Allée, a marketing company in Albertville. She frequently speaks on topics related to social media and will be presenting "Using Twitter for Networking" at the Twin Cities Media Alliance's Fall Forum on November 12 (free and open to the public). Connect with Melissa through email, Twitter or Facebook.