Using Facebook to Market Extension Programs

I just answered an eXtension Ask an Expert question. The question was:
"What are the advantages and disadvantages to using Facebook to promote community events in all program areas of Extension?"

Since this is a question I hear a lot from NC Agents, I thought I'd get the most mileage out of my answer. I'd also like to hear your thoughts... Use the comment link below to add what you see are pros and cons.

My answer was:

One pro is that yesterday 42% of all internet users visit Facebook (http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/facebook.com)

Depending on your audience, this may be the best way to communicate with a large number of people. Many people don't listen to the radio or subscribe to the local paper.

It is a great way to spread information to people with similar interests. If you reach one person and they "like" or comment or indicate they are attending your event, all of their friends can see that. If they comment or "like" that comment, you just reached another level of people.

The average Facebook user has 130 friends. If you get 20 people to "Like" or comment, you just reached more than 2000 people.

Another pro is that you can continue the conversation after the event. You can continue to share information and receive questions with people that attended - or were unable to attend.

Another pro is the networking effect. Much of the learning that goes on at a meeting is done between participants during the breaks. Facebook enables these people to be able to continue the conversation long after the event. And the best part is you can be a part of all of those conversations. The event page can also serve as a place to link to handouts and other resources for those who attended and those who discover it long after the event took place. 

Another pro is the ability to continue to reach people interested in your program other than for this one event. Like building a newsletter mailing list that you don't need to maintain.

The biggest con is that 58% of all internet users did not visit Facebook yesterday. There is a (shrinking) group of people who are not using Facebook. You won't reach them this way.

Unless 100% of your target audience is using Facebook, you shouldn't rely on Facebook as your only marketing tool. Just as you wouldn't only market through one local newspaper or one radio station, you shouldn't only market through Facebook. It should however, be a component of your marketing plan.

Through Facebook, Muge Apaydin Celik shared this comment with me:
I like your pros and cons and i agree with you. I just wanted to add one more thing to your last con. Facebook is not our own tool. We are using it FREE for now. but we never know when it is going to be paid or hacked or down.It is never safe to rely on something is not belong you. As i always say we should use Facebook to take attention to our own web site. So we can have more active and alive web sites.