[algoshift]

Reaching a mass of people via Facebook is, to some degree, relatively easy. If you have 50 to 100 people you can reach directly and they, in turn, reach out to their direct connections you'll "touch" a pile of people quickly.

However, from that to getting people to take action --be it install and app, vote for a cause, visit a website-- that's an entirely different matter.

In our case one of the things we came across is a demographic that simply does not use Facebook. Older parents of the very kids we are trying to help.

The next issue was triggered by a dialog that pops-up when you click on the vote button. Facebook tells you that you are about to share your profile and your friends list. Of course a lot of people recoiled at that immediately. The last thing parents of children with special needs want to do is open the doors to their facebook account. I get it. I absolutely do. We probably lost hundreds of potential supporters this way. It is perfectly understandable. I don't understand why facebook would not have the option to be able to simply log in or vote on something as a means of identifying yourself yet without granting access to your life (or projecting the fear of this happening).

I suppose the efficacy of trying to build an audience through facebook depends on your demographic. If your audience lives on facebook it is probably a great channel. If you audience does not or if they are concerned about their privacy there could be issues.