Facebook is not the next Google. It is a whole new kind of phenomenon - not just a MySpace copy. There are opportunities there for the smart marketer.

Here are 3 reasons why you need to understand Facebook:

1. Applications You can build, or hire someone to build, little applications that Facebook users can add to their own Facebook pages. Custom applications can ‘go viral’, passing from user to user, very quickly. If a user ads, say, Ian’s Handy Widget to their pages, then all of their Facebook friends will see that one of their friends is now using the widget. They, in turn, may use it. After that, their circle of friends see it and do the same, and so on.

2. Blog import You can import your blog to Facebook. Then anyone in your Facebook circle of friends will see it.

3. Rubbing elbows Finally, this site offers a lot of opportunities to network and connect with lots of players in their given industries.

Learn about Facebook, folks. Sign up today, and spend a few minutes playing with it each day. It will pay off in the long run. Even if Microsoft buys them, this site has serious legs as a networking and marketing tool.

Source: Conversation Marketing