Is anyone else bored of statuses that start “Here’s my Facebook movie. Find yours at….”  This week Facebook celebrates its tenth birthday and to celebrate, users are being given the opportunity to see the highlights of their life on Facebook. Nice for them; a bit boring for everyone else.

10 years of distraction…… 10 years of “friending”, “likes”, “pokes”, inane statuses, rants, oversharing and, if you’re unlucky (or is that lucky?) “defriending”.  No matter how negative (or positive) we feel, or pretend to feel, about Facebook, the fact is that the majority of us have wasted many an hour over the years nosing at someone else’s status. Most of us will, if pushed, be forced to admit that we have done our fair share of “Facebook stalking”.

Where It All Began

Opened in 2004 exclusively for the use of Harvard students, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, took an actual book and put it online. From the outset, the concept seemed to be a winner and the facility expanded to other colleges in the area, before expanding further and, by September 2006, becoming accessible to anyone over the age of 13 with a valid email address. Since then, things have escalated: Facebook now has 1.2 billion users, with 750 million people logging on every day and, for many, is a part of day to day life. In fact, 80% of US divorce attorneys say social media related divorces are on the rise.

Amongst the Bravr team the majority of us joined in 2007, with a couple of latecomers joining the “party” in 2009. Of course, it goes without saying that Shahin Fard, one of our CEOs, was the trailblazer, joining the burgeoning world of Facebook in December 2006.

Facebook For Business

Whilst many younger social media users are trending towards other facilities, such as Vine and Snapchat, Facebook continues to grow, with highest rates of growth in the over 65s. It is also a valuable marketing tool for businesses and organisations. There is no doubt that, when used well, Facebook is a valuable resource for marketing, resource sharing and information gathering, as well as an excellent form of procrastination.

When Facebook was created, the internet was very different. The blackberry was the height of technology and, whilst the concept of iPhone web traffic had probably been created, it was certainly not part of the internet landscape at the time. Fast forward ten years and the proliferation of Facebook continues.  Most of us have mobile internet access 24/7, giving organisations access to Facebook and its users, around the clock. This makes social media a valuable resource for businesses. A few well spent pounds can ensure that a business or organisation’s message gets across to millions of people at the right time. Increasing online presence in the right way can create brand awareness and trust as well as attracting new business. What’s not to love?

The Bravr Geeks love their statistics; they know when people are likely to react to posts and have the facilities to analyse social media activity and response to gain optimal results. So if you are stuck in a social media rut, or need to know how to make your activity on any social media platform more effective, Bravr could be the answer to your problem.