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Johannesburg - South African companies are taking advantage of social networking website Facebook as a cheaper and more efficient way of marketing their businesses.
"Facebook opens a social networking platform that allows companies to engage on a more personal level at a fraction of the cost," says Mike Stopforth, the CEO of online reputation management company Cerebra which works with companies like SA's biggest retail bank, Absa, on their Facebook presence.
Facebook has become a very popular platform for South Africans with online access; Facebook says there are 683 943 users registered on its South Africa network grouping.
According to international internet information company Alexa, the South Africa network is the sixth largest among country networks on Facebook.
It also reported that Facebook is the second-most visited site in South Africa.
Local internet advocacy group MyBroadband says that the average duration of a Facebook session for South African employees with internet access is 30 minutes.
Given the site's rise in popularity among online users, it is only fitting that companies are finding it easier to reach their target markets through this digital medium.
Kate Elphick, the director of Digital Bridges, a company which helps businesses build work tools and practices using the most recent (web 2.0) technologies, says that Facebook allows companies "to select exactly what markets they are aiming for in a cost-effective way. It is a strategic approach to networking socially".
Quest Flexible Staffing Solutions is first among local recruitment companies to tap into Facebook.
In April this year, it launched a Facebook application that allows the public to assess personality types and establish a line of contact between the applicant and agency.
Quest's managing executive, Margot Errington, says the launch of Quest's Facebook application is in line with the company's strategy of using innovative recruitment methods to attract skilled applicants from specific communities.
Errington says that companies first need to assess their needs before deciding to use Facebook as part of their marketing strategies. It depends on their intentions," she says. "The Facebook environment is not a space for business - it is a social space designed for empowerment."
Companies also need to be mindful of their tone and balance, says Errington: "They need to maintain professionalism and connect with people on a personal level.
The Facebook environment allows us to offer an alternative, more informal, less intimidating format whereby job seekers can investigate their opinions and sign up for employment."
As advertisers grapple with positioning companies online, social networking has emerged as a tool to help firms reach audiences more effectively, says Errington: "Typical banner advertising on Facebook has proven to be less effective than advertising on the internet at large, but branded applications are one of the most engaging ways to connect with an audience."
- Fin24.com