We just published our latest report, Banking on Facebook, which looks at why you should establish a presence on the social network. And more importantly, what you can do to make the effort pay off.

To some extent, this report was overdue. Facebook has been a major social force for four or five years. However, it wasn't until recently that brands have taken the platform seriously.

And while soft drinks and social games may dominate Facebook brand pages now, every major brand will be there eventually, financial services included. The opening to our report lays out the opportunity:

If there was a neighborhood that 90% of your customers visited frequently, many every day, how much would you pay to have a presence there? If you were small, maybe $10,000; if you were Chase, maybe hundreds of millions.

But what if it cost almost nothing to set up shop there? Basically, that’s Facebook: a place most of your customers frequent and where brands can establish a page for exactly zero dollars.

In the 56-page report we cover:

• 12 main reasons you should invest in a Facebook brand page
• 12 primary components of a Facebook brand page (see screenshot below)
• 42 advanced tactics for your Facebook page
• 47 financial institutions worldwide with more than 100,000 Facebook fans/likes
• Consumer interest in viewing bank account info, spending info, and credit info within their Facebook page
• The importance of Facebook's new "Action" buttons for banks (inset)
• 23 Facebook terms you need to understand (e.g. social plugins)

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About the report
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Banking on Facebook (link)
It's time to set up shop in the dominant social network

Author: Jim Bruene, Editor & Founder

Published: 28 Feb 2012

Length: 56 pages, 10 tables, 12,000 words

Cost: No extra charge to OBR subscribers, US$495 for others here

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Sample screenshot: We use Lending Club to illustrate the basic components of a Facebook brand page