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In a recent post Robin Goad of Hitwise reminds that "Facebook is the second most visited website in the UK after Google and is now the second biggest source of traffic to other websites as well. 1 in every 6 page views from UK Internet users goes to a Facebook page, and 20 million hours are spent on the website every day from UK users alone."
So far, so good - we know Facebook is big! There's no question of the importance of social media, content and inbound marketing, with Facebook being an important part of that ecosystem. The Hitwise research data stresses the value of Facebook for multi-channel marketers. According to Hitwise, the same names are dominating - Topshop, ASOS etc - the majority being own or one-brand online retailers.
The context here is that Hitwise are launching a new service called the 'Facebook Fan Acquisition and Analysis service' and they're keen to promote those benefits with statistics that can help us better understand what the ROI is. Great, so what we can take from this insight?
Well looking at the headline figures is dangerous I think (lies, damned lies, etc). Particularly when it's reported out of context. For example, Search Engine Land picked up this story and presented it definitively using this graphic and presented it as fact without discussing the methodology or even the time period (it's per one month we think):
As the comments made on the Hitwise blog suggest the 1:20 inference is tenuous. Hitwise stress that we're looking at the most active in Facebook yet the numbers simply don't stack up in terms of the linear conclusions drawn if we're trying to evaluate ROI:
What we think
Given Facebook has become such a ubiquitous tool, are we being too hasty in drawing direct relationships from its use and subsequent brand traffic or brand searches. I think so - what do you think?
By Danyl Bosomworth
Dan helped to co-found Smart Insights in 2010 and acted as Marketing Director until leaving in November 2014 to focus on his other role as Managing Director of First 10 Digital. His experience spans brand development and digital marketing, with roles both agency and client side for nearly 20 years. Creative, passionate and focussed, his goal is on commercial success whilst increasing brand equity through effective integration and remembering that marketing is about real people. Dan's interests and recent experience span digital strategy, social media, and eCRM. You can learn more about Dan's background here Linked In.
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