In marketing circles, there is a great deal of talk about FaceBook. FaceBook is a social networking site that came quietly into the Internet scene in early 2004, when it was founded by Mark Zuckerberg. Mr. Zuckerberg was still a student at Harvard University at that time, and FaceBook was geared towards college students only. Within the FaceBook interface, users are able to create their own profile, complete with personal data, professional data, and a picture. They are then able to add other users of Facebook to their circle of friends. They can add people they know or request to add complete strangers, therefore widening their network, or circle of friends. Friends – or strangers soon to be friends – can be located with their email address, by region or city, by profession, by their school, or numerous other options. Once a person has joined your circle of friends, you can interact with them by sending them messages or leaving notes on their profile, which is essentially called ‘writing on one’s wall.’ As stated, FaceBook was initially designed for use by college students – first those attending Harvard, and later those attending other ivy league schools. A lot has changed in four years, and now anyone over the age of 13 can open a free account at FaceBook and start interacting with others. Today, there are more than 80 million people using FaceBook.
Since FaceBook has become open to non-college students, some of the most famous Internet Marketers, including John Reese, Mike Filsaime, Willie Crawford, and Edmund Loh have found that the social networking site is more than just a way to connect with old friends and to meet new friends, it can also be used as a valuable marketing tool.
