The New Face(book) of Searching Online
February 18, 2010
Facebook has scored a double knock out this month, and the implications for organizations and nonprofit social networking are amazing. Two pieces of news:
1) Facebook has surpassed Google as the top source for directing internet traffic to web biggies Yahoo and MSN. (Full story here.)
2) Facebook has surpassed Yahoo and is now the number two most visited site on the web, right behind Google. (Full story here.)
This is pretty incredible news– Facebook’s purpose of connecting friends and family networks has transformed into a function formerly only filled by official search engines. Facebook has created a trusted network so pervasive that people are navigating the web based on what they read on their friend’s pages, and the sharing of links on the site is a major driver of traffic elsewhere.
What struck me immediately was how much this reflected a reality that nonprofits and fundraisers already know. When a donor is being asked to contribute, who can best represent your organization to get the results you want? An impeccably credentialed development director who has met the potential donor a few times, or the Board member who is a good friend and business colleague?
People trust what they hear from friends, family, colleagues, and others with whom they have a trusted, existing relationship. The emergence of Facebook as a powerhouse of a web traffic cop– directing people to sites, organizations, and news that is interesting– well, that is the essence of why social networking is a free marketing boon for nonprofits, drawing upon long-standing best practices and letting your supporters do your recruiting for you.
So if you aren’t using Facebook yet… what are you waiting for?
