Is Your Company a “C” Student When It Comes to Social Media?

Diane Vautier December 22, 2009

Remember when you were in high school?  Being average was, well, average. It was the typical “C” student. Teacher notations on report cards said things like “could try harder” or “room for improvement”.  Being a “C” student didn’t really earn accolades or open doors. It didn’t win scholarships or help position a student for later success.

So why then are you acting like a “C” student in marketing your business with Social Media?

If you haven’t noticed, Social Media is the biggest shift in communication style since faxes or email, and promises to continue to increase in use and importance.  So if you’re not onboard now you’ll never get the chance to move from JV to Varsity and make a score for the win.  Here are some facts about average companies and their presence on Facebook and Twitter, two highly influential Social Media platforms.

Facebook:

According to an article in  Allfacebook.com, (the Unofficial Facebook Resource blog) the average number of FanPage (the business version of a Facebook profile) fans is approximately 2,104. You might be saying “holy cow, that’s a lot of fans” and you’d be right. That number takes into account all the big-brand, bell-curve busters out there like Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and Pringles not to mention Facebook’s own fan page.

Here’s a better way to compare how you’re doing against your Facebook competitors. Know your chances.  Allfacebook.com numbers indicate a large number of Fanpages are created and abandoned or have little or no activity at all. Without promotion you can probably gain up to about 20 fans, but after that it takes effort. Here’s how Allfacebook.com breaks down your chances of success.

• 40% chance of earning more than 100 fans
• 9.5% chance of earning more than 1000 fans
• 5% chance of earning more that 3000 fans
• 2.5% chance of earning more than 10,000 fans

As your teacher would say, “there’s room for improvement” on Facebook.

Twitter:

According to a post on the UK technology blog Guardian.co.uk, the average twitter user has 126 followers.  They referenced a 2009 QCon London presentation by Twitter software engineer Evan Weaver as the source.

Although we don’t know what the average business following is since Twitter doesn’t distinguish between businesses and individuals, we can say that the number of followers to beat is the overall average of 126. If you’re accomplishing far more than that, then you’ve been listening in class and risen above the average “C” student status.

But don’t stop there. Now that you know where the bar is, raise it!  Try harder for the “B” or even “A” grade in Social Media.  But be focused.  Work on earning targeted fans and followers, not just anyone with a profile.  Numbers don’t mean much if they’re just numbers, they should represent individuals that are meaningful to your business or market.

Just like your teachers said, “the more you put in, the more you get out of everything you do”.  That also applies to Social Media.

Additional resources:

• Techcrunch: It’s Not Easy Being Popular. 77% of Facebook Fan Pages Have Under 1,000
  
• FansLost Press Marketing Blog: Facebook Fan Pages Overwhelm Business
  

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