Web 101: What Is Facebook?

by Lily Bradic

We know you know what Facebook is, but if you only use it for staying in touch with friends and family, you still have a lot to learn. And that’s okay — it's actually pretty straightforward, and we're here to help you.

What is Facebook?

Facebook is a social networking service. It was founded in 2004, as a way for college students to keep in touch, and has since grown to be the biggest social network in the world.

Who uses Facebook?

There are over 1.23 billion people on Facebook, and the user-base is ageing rapidly. The social network has suffered a 25% drop in users aged 13-17 over the last three years, and over the same period, the number of over-55s rose by 80%.

Why should you care?

You should care because Facebook is still most people’s go-to social network. The majority of users also access the site from mobile devices, so your business being on Facebook means this:

• Customers can check your opening hours from their smartphones 
• Customers can access your address and phone number on-the-go
• Customers can read your posts on the train, at lunch, when they’re watching TV, and before they go to sleep at night

Is Facebook good for marketing?

It can be, yes — but Facebook is making it more and more difficult. If you have a Facebook page for your business, it’s likely you’ve noticed a drop in your posts’ reach over the past year. That’s because Facebook is limiting the number of fans who see your posts, in the hope you’ll then pay to boost reach. The more they monetize the Page thing, the less use it is to your small business. You can still fight back, though. Like this:

• Familiarize yourself with Facebook Insights. This article is a good place to start. 
• If you can add an image, link, or video to a text post, do it. Facebook “shows” these to more users, and it’s been proven that they’re shared more, too.
• Put as much information on your Page as possible. If there’s nothing to see, there’s nothing to Like.
• Include a call to action in as many posts as possible — encourage fans to sign up for your newsletter, or visit your website, or comment on your content.

Need more help with Facebook? Sign up to get Ghost Tips and we’ll show you how to get started!