Advertising on Facebook - Essay Example

With the growth of internet users and the easy access an individual has to information in connecting through the web, more and more business establishments are looking to its influence in reaching out to customers. The latest and ever-growing Facebook social networking site has become a part of the advertising activities of both big and small businesses and proves true to its claim that its pages ‘give businesses the opportunity to build a consumer base, sell products, run promotions, schedule appointments or reservations, share information, and interact with customers’ (Cohen). Ashley Watson lists Starbucks, Victoria’s Secret, Zara, McDonald's, H&M, Taco Bell, Subway, Lacoste, Hollister, and Forever as the top ten most liked retailers advertising on Facebook and claims they are selling themselves on the site as they discovered it as an innovative way of letting themselves be known to consumers.

The advertisers on Facebook generally let their products known on the networking site because of the number of people they can reach as friends of targeted consumers see what they are engaged with when they click on the like button below the pictures of advertisers (Stambor). In addition, Facebook advertising is cheaper on the part of the retailers while they are still able to reach more consumers with the help of their prospects’ free advertisements to their friends. As mentioned earlier in the ads of Facebook, retailers are also able to interact with customers, telling them more about their products and answering questions that make consumers appreciate or give suggestions to the retailers.

Being the top among the ten retailers mentioned earlier, Starbucks gained its status with a well-done Facebook page (Lee) where they communicate with their customers, updating them with new products, promotions, and other pertinent information that engages their fans. One noted activity of the retailer is giving away free products when they print out invitations from their advertisement on the networking site which increased their production within the promotional period.

Another retailer that took great advantage of the site’s advertisement page is the controversial Taco Bell (Lee, Singer) with a lawsuit claiming its Taco fillings do not meet the standard requirement of the USDA to be labeled as beef, the retailer used Facebook to pacify consumers. It is giving away ten million coupons to those who like them on Facebook which consequently entitles them to free Tacos and the more than five million followers of Taco Bell only shows how the advertisements are working. The warm reception of consumers to such an approach makes the retailer more confident about the lawsuit because loyal fans are patronizing and supporting them despite the hubbub.

For the retailers using Facebook, the huge number of possible consumers they are able to reach is the main reason for their use of the site. Secondly, it is quite affordable and thirdly, they are able to connect with consumers for verifications and other matters that might place their company in a bad light like what happened to Taco Bell. Whatever the reasons are, Facebook sure hit its mark and made true to its word, connecting retailers and consumers and attracting more retailers to advertise with its features becoming more friendly (Stambor) and bringing more consumers to know more about them.