Many NGO’s and non-profits using social media are discovering the charms and benefits of Facebook fan pages. It’s a nifty little value-added service that allows organizations to build an interactive page inside the Facebook ecosystem to engage existing or potential members, sponsors and interesting people. It’s an intriguing idea, but does your organization really need one?

Fan pages are a great way to reach people without resorting to direct email (spam) or hit-or-miss mass snail mail (spam in paper form). Since users make the decision to connect with your organization, marketing messages will be anticipated not disregarded. People who add themselves to your fan page typically expect to see at least a little advertising come their way.

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