In light of The Social Network’s opening weekend success at the box office, we decided to focus on Facebook for today’s post.
In late April, Facebook released a set of social plug-ins that were intended to make our traditional (non-Facebook) web activity more social. After six months, it appears the plug-ins are as powerful as they are simple.
The iconic “Like” button has extended its reach to all corners of the web. It has had a particularly significant impact on content publishers.
Mashable reported the following statistics:
“Since the button launched and was integrated on millions of sites, many publishers are reporting large increases in traffic specifically due to this kind of social plugin. ABC News reported a 190% increase; Gawker’s traffic shot up by 200%; Sporting News said their site traffic was up by a shocking 500%; and NBA.com said that Facebook had become their second-largest referral source.”
Pretty amazing stuff!
So what does this mean for alumni relations and communications professionals? First, if you haven’t already added the Like button to your online news, alumni magazines, sports and events websites, there is no time like the present. This simple button allows your most engaged alumni to serve as a communication channel on your behalf. Since this feature is core to your school’s Facebook page, alumni are already accustomed to endorsing posts and articles they find interesting. Here is a recent example from Siena College’s Facebook page.
Adding Facebook’s Like button lowers the barrier for alumni to endorse your news, events and other online content. The best part is, Facebook has made it unbelievably easy to add the button and other plug-ins. See the Facebook Social Plug-in page here for more information.
If you’re interested in this topic, I think you’ll enjoy the full presentation that Facebook’s Justin Osofsky published last week.
Ever True!
Brent