New Read on Facebook

Still on the fence about the relevancy of Facebook? It might be time to change your thinking.

Retailers actively involved in marketing their products and services using a Facebook fan page have a distinct advantage over their competitors, according to a recent Retail Omnibus study conducted by Morpace. The study found that consumers are not only joining fan pages that are managed by businesses, they are using the social networking site as a means to offer and receive product recommendations.

The concept of direct sales via Facebook is still in its infancy, yet the site can be valuable as a vehicle for providing potential customers with discounts or coupons. Nearly 40 percent of Facebook users say they join a page to receive coupons and discount offers; 36 percent consider the social network site to be a good tool for product research, and nearly 70 percent said a positive referral from a “friend” on Facebook would positively influence their purchase decision.

The Morpace report found that when consumers are logged into their Facebook accounts they are likely to “talk” about a range of products and services with their friends. Thirty-eight percent talk about food, restaurant and grocery stores; 26 percent talk about technology products.