I’ve had the pleasure to speak in Brazil, London and Canada a number of times, and one of the pieces of “homework” that I always do before speaking in a new country is research their social media use. One interesting thing is that while the social networks may be different, people and their desire to interact with each other remains the same.

Facebook has become one of the top three websites for traffic in the majority of countries across the world. In my experience presenting on Social Media marketing, it is amazing how the numbers change each time I present. Facebook is a globetrotting phenomenon as it continues to approach 1 billion users in 210 countries. However, according to a study at Pingdom.com, Facebook still has a few more countries to check off their list.

Where is Facebook not?

Facebook has yet to conquer the top 5 in two world’s largest online markets: China and Japan. With China’s tight censorship on its Internet traffic, Facebook has been blocked to China’s 420,000,000 Internet users. Some of the other countries where Facebook falls out of the top 5 include: Iran, Belarus, Russia, Brazil, Latvia, Ukraine and Poland. While Facebook is inching towards the top 5 in a few of these countries, they still have work to obtain that spot! Japan, Brazil and Russia all have more than 50 million users each – this is a HUGE market that Facebook is hoping to draw in.

They’re missing out!

Facebook has transformed dramatically since it was first created in 2004. Starting out as a network for only Harvard college students, it is amazing how Facebook has now grown into a global entity. With over 500 million active members as of 2011, it has become a useful and constructive tool for businesses across the globe. According to a study in 2010 by Emarketer.com, 73.3% of businesses have consulted Facebook and other social media networks for recruiting employees. Facebook has also integrated advertising where businesses can advertise to specific target demographics. Businesses can create a Facebook Fan Page where it can inform its current fans as well as attract other potential consumers, fans or clients. Facebook is an easy way for your business to build it online presence – why not join the network of 500 million individuals who could turn into potential contacts?

Conclusion

While Facebook is still working to be in the top 5 for some countries, it still sits in this category for 210 other countries. This social network is a tool that every company should be taking advantage of, especially with its worldwide reach. The statistics speak for themselves in how influential and significant Facebook has become in the digital marketing world – where will Facebook go next?