The common assumption that ‘everyone’s on Facebook’ is slowly moving away from simply being a cliché. If it was a nation it would have the third largest population on earth, with over 750 million current users. Facebook is the undisputed king of social networking, even if you base that claim only on its market share. (NB. Twitter is seen more as a tool than a social network.) As a site, Facebook has changed its outward appearance greatly, since its launch in 2004. The majority of these changes have been welcomed by Worldview Media and we have followed its progress keenly, as a tool for reaching and keeping audiences, followers, and clients.
Making Facebook work for you
You may have a personal profile, but have you considered how useful Facebook could be for your business or organisation? There really is great potential for making Facebook work for you, primarily because much can be done without large marketing budgets. For example, the infrastructure for Facebook Pages or new Groups is there already. Yes, you may consider investing in Facebook advertising, but before you get that far, consider what can be done with little to no outlay. Worldview Media can advise you on getting the best out of Facebook, whether it’s deciding on a Page or new Group, what content you should be posting and when, and how you can integrate your own site or blog with Facebook.
Facebook success stories
Making Easter (LIVE)
An idea conceived in a coffeehouse, Easter (LIVE) was created to tell the story of Jesus’ final week for today’s Facebook generation. Worldview Media, in partnership with the Evangelical Alliance, Cliff College, and Share Creative produced a real time Passion Play for Easter week 2010.Telling the story through nine eyewitnesses, each tweeting as if they were at the scene of bustling 1st Century Jerusalem, it brought the ancient tale to life – seamlessly dropping into Facebook newsfeeds (and Twitter timelines). With 3,000 followers, Easter (LIVE) was featured in the Daily Telegraph and went on to win two Jerusalem Awards, recognising excellence in religious media. Two of the team, Ali Johnson and Huw Tyler, went on to produce a Christmas project called Natwivity, which had close on 10,000 followers and Worldview Media helped it gain international TV coverage.
Super Badgering from Tearfund
Uniting thousands in the fight against global poverty, SuperBadger is Tearfund’s revolutionary Facebook application. It enables users to send pre written emails, direct from their Facebook profile, to the people who make key decisions affecting those living in poverty. You can even personalise the emails with your name and email address, a proven way to have a greater impact. Examples of badgering emails include those sent to the African Union to ensure a fair outcome for Zimbabwe; to Homebase to phase out patio heaters; and the UK government to prioritise children affected by AIDS. Tearfund has also launched the first ever campaigning application for iPhone and iPod touch from a UK aid agency. “Social media and smart phones are increasingly becoming a part of our everyday lives. We just want to make it as easy as possible for our supporters to be able to make a difference,” Ben Niblett, Head of Campaigns.
Rage Against The Number One
It was heralded by the BBC as “one of the biggest shocks in chart history.” In 2009 a Facebook campaign took on the might of the entertainment industry to put a Rage Against The Machine song at number one for Christmas. The band’s single, Killing In The Name, sold 500,000 downloads beating X Factor winner Joe McElderry’s The Climb by 50,000 copies to clinch the top spot. Run by music enthusiast, Jon Morter, it started with an idea and spread like wildfire, crossing into the mainstream media to add fuel to the ambition. And it raised over £100k for homeless charity Shelter in the process.It proved that when you have a strong idea, you now don’t need a massive marketing budget. Tools like Facebook can do much of the hard work for you. Worldview Media recognises and rejoices in the people-power-potential that is evident here.
