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Companies need to spend more time and effort incorporating social networks' proprietary tools and access to a vast pool of consumers into their websites. With the creation of Facebook Connect, members are able to "connect" with friends through other channels allowing users to identify their likes and interests on and off the social networking site. For example, the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes incorporated the Facebook Connect application into their website, allowing members to identify what movies their friends like. Perhaps it is not the number of "likes" that persuade shoppers to fan a brand, but simply a friend's decision to follow that brand.

According to our Social Media Research Service, S-Net, 34 percent of automobile purchasers and 30 percent of appliance shoppers say they follow brands because their friends are fans. Making that slight commitment to fan or follow a company is also likely to generate sales with just under 50 percent of electronics and home furnishing shoppers saying they purchase more from the brands they are fans of than any other company. Additionally, a quarter of apparel purchasers say that since becoming a fan of a brand, they make more purchases than they used to.

Integrating social media tools within overall marketing strategies allows for instant personalization. It provides users with more relevant information, and can generate infinite word-of-mouth buzz. Social networkers are interested in hearing their friends' recommendations, and by incorporating Facebook Connect into company websites shoppers no longer have to visit social media outlets to view their friends' interests. Perhaps it is time you consider making Facebook Connect part of your marketing initiative.