The State of FacebookHow Businesses Are Using the World’s Biggest Social Network

Jeanne Hopkins & Rick Burnes

HubSpot Marketing Managers

Twitter: @jeannehopkins & @rickburnes

Agenda

I. About HubSpot

II. Why Facebook Is Important

• New data

III. How Businesses Use Facebook

• Case Studies

What’s HubSpot?

• Founded in July 2006; grew out of research at MIT

• Sells inbound marketing software

• 2,000+ customers; 100+ employees

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Agenda

I. About HubSpot

II. Why Facebook Is Important

• New data

III. How Businesses Use Facebook

• Case Studies

Is Facebook Just Cotton Candy?

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Flickr: anitacanita

It’s sweet and sticky …

but does your business get nutritional value?

Facebook’s Roles in Inbound Marketing

Blogging SEO Email Pay-Per-ClickFacebook

Website Visitors

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Leads

Customers

Facebook

Facebook Momentum

Further Evidence

Social Media Spending

Facebook Grader - Business

Facebook Grader - Business

# of Facebook Fans Distribution

Category Distribution <500 Fans

Top 10 Sub-Categories <500 Fans

Data Conclusion

• Facebook provides small businesses with an

opportunity to position themselves at a low-cost,

with a potentially high return

• Most Facebook pages have less than 500 fans.

A business does not need thousands of fans to A business does not need thousands of fans to

be successful.

• Facebook is a channel for business

communication.

Agenda

I. About HubSpot

II. Why Facebook Is Important

• New data

III. How Businesses Use Facebook

• Case Studies

How Businesses Participate: Pages

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What Makes Great Facebook Pages?*

Product Passion

Content

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Community

Fun

Practical Information

Je Ne Sais Quoi

* In my opinion.

What Are Your Neighbors Up To?

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The best way to learn how to use Facebook for your business?

Study the things that work for other businesses.

Don’t Focus Too Much on Your Industry

The best marketers take off the

blinders and look outside their

world for inspiration.

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“But we’re a B2B company” is a

BAD excuse not to dive into

Facebook.

beketchai on flickr

Tip: Be a Fan of Facebook Marketing

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Case Study #1: MailChimp

• Email Marketing

Software

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Software

• >5,000 fans

MailChimp Uses Notes & Photos

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B2B Tip: Share useful information; have fun.

Case Study #2: All Things Jeep

• Website that

sells Jeep

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sells Jeep

paraphernalia

• >2,300 fans

272 Photos Contributed by Users

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B2B Tip: Engage your Facebook community.

Case Study #3: Nicholas Kristof

• NYT Columnist

• >146,543 fans

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• >146,543 fans

Context Provided for Each Link

B2B Tips: Be

passionate; share

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passionate; share

content, but share it

with a personal voice.

Final Thoughts …

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20th Century Customers

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Highly transactional, anonymous.

21st Century Customers

Relationship

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Relationship

based; they want

to go where

everybody knows

their name.

The Challenge? Too Many Pieces!

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d.j.k. on flickr

HubSpot Puts the Pieces Together

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Thank You!

Sign up for a free trial of HubSpot:

www.hubspot.com/trial/

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rickburnes

Twitter: www.twitter.com/rickburnes

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeannehopkins

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeannehopkins

More questions? Post them here: http://inbound.org