Facebook: By The Numbers

We all know that Facebook rules the social media universe, current IPO issues withstanding.

But there are some really interesting facts recently compiled that shed light on just how big the “like” juggernaut really has become.

· One in every five page views in the U.S. occurred on Facebook, bringing in more than 400 billion page views this year.

· The average visit time on Facebook is 20 minutes.

· 10 states account for 52 percent of visits to Facebook. They are: California; Texas; New York; Florida; Illinois; Pennsylvania; Ohio; Michigan; Georgia and North Carolina. (Based on year-to-date average)

· The New York City area provides the largest volume of traffic to Facebook in the country.

· Good old West Virginia is the state with residents who are most likely to visit Facebook. Rounding out the top 10, per capita, are: Kentucky (no.2); Maine (no.3); Arkansas (no.5); Iowa (no.6); Indiana (no.7); Mississippi (no.8); Oklahoma (no.9); and Alabama (no.10). (Based on year-to-date average).

· Facebook became the top ranked website in the U.S. in 2010.

· Facebook is also the top overall site in the following countries: Canada; New Zealand; Hong Kong; and Singapore. AND it ranks second in: the U.K.; Brazil; France; and Australia.

· Facebook’s audience skews slightly more female (56 percent) than male.

· The term ‘Facebook’ has been the most searched term in America for three years, starting the week ending on July 18, 2009.

· Facebook members are loyal. Approximately 96 percent of visitors to the site have returned within the past 30 days (as of April 2012).

So, regardless of the current litigation over the perceived “value” of the social media platform, it’s hard to argue with the facts that it is a force with which to be reckoned.