This article was written by Susan Payton.

“With more than 300 million active users, Facebook is nearly the size of the United States in terms of population. In fact, odds are that you’re a Facebook user, perhaps using it to keep in touch with family and friends, with a dash of business thrown in for good measure. Maybe you look at some of the 2 billion photos uploaded each month, or contribute a few of the 40 million daily status updates. In short: Facebook is where it’s at, and you’re already there.

But what about your business? Does it use Facebook ()? If you’re a business owner, you really need to set up a Fan Page, or else you risk being left behind as more businesses shift to social networks like Facebook. This post is a beginner’s guide to setting up and getting the most out of a Page on Facebook for your business.”

Read the rest of this article from Mashable.

This article was written by Brette Borow.

“There are over 56 million women using Facebook in the United States, and for marketers this means one very important thing – if you have a brand, product or company that targets women, FacebookFacebook is the place to be.”

Read the rest of this article from Mashable.

This article was written by Kim Komando.

“You’re careful about what you post online. You know Facebook and Twitter posts can harm your dating and job prospects. And thieves can use the sites to target you.

But there’s much more to maintaining your security and privacy. Criminals and marketers have found new ways to use Twitter and Facebook. If you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to get taken. You’ll find links to the sites mentioned here at www.komando.com/news.”

Read this article from USA Today.

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“Social media marketing is here to stay” could very well be chalked up as the understatement of the year. Social media marketing has been on the rise for the past several years. Unfortunately, many small businesses, corporations, and independent freelancers have been slow to get on board the social networking train.

Saying “no thank you” to social marketing opportunities reminds me of the new commercial out for PS3. The advertisement begins with a disgruntled girlfriend who can’t wrap her mind around the fact that her boyfriend has indeed purchased PS3, but will not (for whatever reason) proceed to the next logical step: connecting to the internet. The girlfriend is speaking to a technical advisor with PlayStation who brings to her attention the fact that without connecting, he can’t possibly make use of all the wonder that PS3 offers, such as movie downloads, online gaming, and so much more. The final line of the commercial says it all, “What is wrong with him?”

The same goes for social networking. In a virtual world where products and services are now sold more through the “virtual word of mouth social networking” than high dollar corporate advertisements, why wouldn’t you want to engage with online communities? The answer to that is most likely, because you just don’t know where to begin. Here’s a brief but extremely valuable overview that will bring you up to speed on two powerhouse players of the social media marketing scene.”

Read this article from Mortgage News Daily.

“A growing number of businesses are making Facebook an indispensible part of hanging out their shingles. Small businesses are using it to find new customers, build online communities of fans and dig into gold mines of demographic information.

“You need to be where your customers are and your prospective customers are,” said Clara Shih, author of “The Facebook Era” (Pearson Education, 2009). “And with 300 million people on Facebook, and still growing, that’s increasingly where your audience is for a lot of products and services.”

Read this article from NY Times.

“In the last couple of years, Facebook has gone from a college photo-sharing site to a burgeoning business- networking platform for self-promotion, advertising and multimedia interaction.

With new apps and add-ons, Facebook users can send each other a virtual drink, create and host events, advertise their businesses through social ads, and more. When Charlie Gibson hosted the debate for the 2008 presidential candidates along with Facebook, the little networking site became a powerhouse in the online-marketing community.

If you’re thinking of tapping into the Facebook crowd for some high-profile advertising, take a look at this list of 100 tools and tips that will help you maximize all of the applications and opportunities that Facebook has to offer.
Why Facebook?

Why has Facebook become the go-to networking site for marketers? Check out these articles to read up on the rise of this networking giant.”

Read this article from Social Net Daily.

“You may have heard of Social Media and be wondering what all the fuss is about.

With Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, MySpace and Ecademy as options there is a lot of noise about them! We’ve seen the National Press slate them for being pointless and boring with tales of people reporting their trips to the toilet but the fact remains that if you are in business you’ll need to get involved.”

Read this article from Rachel O’ Reilly.

“Once upon a time there was a beginning and a not-knowing, for all of us. Wherever you may be on the social media journey, at one time, you had to learn the tools from scratch. And for you, that time may be now.

In my presentations across the country, I frequently meet school administrators at this beginning point. They’re eager, they’re motivated but they can sometimes be lost on what’s the first step. I often point them to Facebook as a great place to first stake a school’s social media territory, tell them to follow the steps outlined by Facebook and to keep me posted.

Well, folks often do contact me for more help. Facebook it turns out can be tricky for new users. Many need and want steps to take, tips to remember as they more cautiously build a Facebook presence.

Therefore, here are five simple steps for first time Facebook-ers…”

Read this article from Lorrie Jackson.

“I thought this was an interesting article. I’ve been running on both cylinders, so I saved the link so I could post it here. The title captures it. Facebook is a friend to small businesses. You really don’t need it if you’re a large brand. However, even large brands see the value of having Facebook fan pages. I

f you’re a small business and you’ve got to realize that Facebook now has not just college students. Facebook now has your friends, your parent’s friends and, much to the dismay of many, your parents. The bottom line is your customers are on Facebook and they actually join Facebook fan pages.”

Read this article from Organic Social Media.

“Social networking sites are quickly becoming one of the most important places where retailers can meet potential customers and interact with their current customer base. According to a new report from eMarketer, social network users are a lucrative target demographic because they are more likely to make online purchases than any other group.

About three-quarters of all the retailers in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide maintain a presence on at least one social network. Facebook, YouTube and MySpace are the most popular social networking sites for online retailers.”

Read this article from Read Write Web.