The news is in: Facebook hits 900 million users. The social network has officially become Goliath. Facebook made the announcement in March, and the user count has continued to steadily climb since the news. This information came by way of a regulatory IPO filing in which the company also posted over $1 billion in advertising sales for the first quarter of this year. So the big question is, are you making the most of Facebook’s reach?

There is talk that the growth rate continues to slow, but that really doesn’t matter much, given that the “slowdown” analysts are referring to actually means lowering from doubling to increasing by a nevertheless staggering 33%. Most Facebook users are here to stay, and more people are joining Facebook by the minute. So, if you’re an Internet marketer looking to make money online, there’s never been a better time to take advantage of this tool to increase exposure by using Facebook marketing for your online business.

Create a Fan Page (If You Haven’t Already)

It should go without saying, but maxing out your use of free Facebook marketing tools to grow your online business is a shrewd move to keep your pocketbook intact during your campaigns. It’s important to add social networking icons, “Like” buttons, and other widgets to encourage sharing as often and as prominently as possible throughout your site or blog.

You should also create a Facebook Fan Page for every site and blog you have, and you need to do it now. Once you do, your brand is “Facebook” official – meaning your organization or product has become legitimate enough to merit an online social following. Once you’ve established your page, you can encourage Facebook users to become your fans, invite them to “like” your Fan Page, and share all kinds of relevant information with them as well.

This information may include breaking news within your niche, pictures, video, relevant wall posts, and more. The goal here is to keep consistent, relevant, interesting content in front of Facebook users often enough to keep their attention and cause them to look forward to your posts. You create relationships this way, and this will encourage people to opt into your list, enter your contests, comment on your wall, and take many other actions once you’ve gained their trust – and given the news that Facebook hits 900 million users, how could you not market on Facebook?

Use Old Fashioned PPC Once You Get Big

Once you have begun turning a profit that justifies investment in outlets for greater exposure, it’s time to start thinking about pay-per-click (PPC) advertising for marketing on Facebook. If you have a big presence on Facebook already with a Fan Page, then you should look into Facebook’s PPC program.

This is the easiest way to market using a social network, and with so many users, you’re guaranteed an obnoxious amount of targeted eyeballs on your ads. Facebook’s PPC program is raising its prices, but the program is still in its infancy, so pricing is still reasonable right now. The program is similar to Google’s AdWords program – you target relevant keywords on users’ pages and pay for results (meaning clicks). And, following the news that Facebook hits 900 million users, you know you’re gonna see them.

Tags: Facebook hits 900 million users, Facebook marketing, Facebook users, marketing on Facebook