Like many of you, I've spent some time observing the social media marketing frenzy from the sidelines. I've skeptically wondered if my insurance marketing audience would really be interested in following me on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. LinkedIn makes sense - after all, it's all about business. But Facebook? I wasn't convinced. That is ... until now. Now that I've learned a little more about Facebook, I've discovered that it represents uncharted lead generation territory - territory that I might not be accessing through the World Wide Web.

Here are some stats that you might find interesting:

1. Volume: The latest stats from Facebook.com showed 240 million active members, and its subscriber base of age 35+ users doubled in size between February and April of 2009. It expects to have 500 million users by 2011. Facebook has an Alexa ranking of 4, which means it is the fourth most trafficked site in the world. The sheer size of the site makes it a worthwhile territory for exploration.

2. Visibility: The rise of Facebook creates a growing segment of the Web that's invisible to search engines. So, as Facebook becomes even larger and keeps more users inside its walled garden, your Web site will need to appear in Facebook searches or you'll miss out on an important source of traffic.

3. Monetization: Facebook collects a ton of information from each user's profile. This presents an interesting opportunity to serve relevant and targeted advertising. If members list activities and interests that relate to your business, your advertisement can be displayed on their screens. If a user lives in a local area, advertisements for local businesses, restaurants and events can be dynamically displayed to those in the targeted area.

When you sign up for Facebook, will you immediately receive leads?

Probably not.

Are most of your clients already on Facebook?

Maybe, or maybe you'll be one step ahead of them.

Only one thing is for sure ...

Facebook is one of the fastest growing enterprises in the world, and now is an excellent time to hitch your wagon to this lightening-quick communication vehicle.

Ready to get started?

Creating a Facebook profile is easy and free. You probably already have a personal Facebook page and setting up your business page is very similar. One key difference is the Fan Page. Use your business' Fan Page to display information about your company, your Web site's URL, and upload your logo. With just a few clicks of your mouse, millions of members inside Facebook will have access to your site.

To see an example, sign into Facebook and visit Heather Sloan Copywriting's Facebook fan page - Heather Sloan Copywriting Insurance Marketing Insights at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Heather-Sloan-Copywriting-Insurance-Marketing-Insights/117757105843?ref=nf. Join me and become a fan! If you already have a Fan Page for your business, invite me to be your fan. Being a fan is different than being a friend. It allows you interact with a business without opening the gate to your entire Facebook page.