In our textbook, "Internet Marketing: Integrating Online & Offline Strategies" by Roberts and Zahay (third edition), there is a very interesting pie chart that proclaims to show "the estimated value of a Facebook fan." Of course Facebook fans have value, social media is a proven vehicle for successful marketing, but I wondered how Syncapse Corp could possibly draw these specific monetary conclusions. Unfortunately, Syncapse Corp does not let you simply view their files on the subject, so I'll have to use outside sources which have drawn significantly different conclusions on the same topic.
According to a study conducted by social media agency SocialCode, they have concluded that the average Facebook fan is worth only $10. That seems much more reasonable to me. I myself am a fan of many companies, film/television studios, and projects on Facebook, but I cannot claim to have spent anywhere near $136.38 supporting any of them, except perhaps one or two involving my strongest interests that exist independent of a single Facebook fan page.
But SocialCode's study was pretty thorough: "Looking at more than 5 million Facebook ads placed by over 50 clients (spanning verticals, but mostly in consumer packaged goods, auto and finance) from between May and September of this year, the study looked at the cost of acquiring new fans, and what it took to get them to perform a desired action." http://adage.com/article/digital/study-facebook-fan-worth-10-average-brands/231128/
The $10 comes from "assuming the constant cost-per-click of $1," says the top of the article. Is a click really worth $1? To many companies claiming their slice of the Facebook pie, yes it is. And the fact that Facebook fans are 291% more likely to engage with the brand than non-fans seems like a pretty solid venture. I, however, am still skeptical about the truth worth of a "click." Our book defines CPC as the cost of the ad, divided by the audience, times one thousand. CPC is an analytic tool that any marketer with access to their company’s insight information can see and interpret. I suppose that ultimately, a fair share of those clicks will lead to a purchase, and then that Facebook fan has significant monetary worth. But $10, let alone $136.38? I think I need to take a look at the Google analytics section for some of these online marketing campaigns.
The problem which has yet to solved is pricing a "like" or "follower." Each customer is not worth the same amount--there are people who choose to like every item ever, others who hide brands from their news feed, and the true fans who interact with pages. The latter could be considering influencers--which is where the money and cost valuations should be leaning toward.
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