The Facebook Marketing Book

Chapter 2. Facebook Profile Basics

A Profile is a digital representation of a Facebook user’s self. Profiles are a thing of pride for frequent Facebook users—an extension of their personalities. Profiles are how users share things with their large and very connected group of social connections. For marketers, the Profile is where it all begins.

To reach and engage these socially connected influencers, you must know what they do and enjoy on the site. Remember, the most valuable Facebook users are the ones who provide a lot of information and have vast connections. The average user has 130 friends; think about the potential of these super-users. Their Profile upkeep requires time and energy to stay fresh, personal, and relevant to friends (and, of course, to marketers like you).

In total, users spend over 70 billion minutes on Facebook per month. You need to appreciate the dedication and openness it takes to create a complete Facebook Profile, because the owners of these Profiles will be the ones that spend a few of those precious minutes helping you gain buzz, clicks, or sales. The best way to understand and appreciate these Facebook users and their Profiles is to create your own.

Figure 2-1. You can view a variety of information on an active Facebook user’s Profile.

What Is a Facebook Profile?

A Facebook Profile is the way individual users represent themselves on the site (Figure 2-1 ...