Among pages like Major Retailer, Samsung Mobile, and Major Financial Services brand, paid media can amplify average lifetime reach of all page posts in a week by between two and 24 times.

FORBES: Facebook: Yes, Our Ads Work, Chapter 16

Essentially, the study says, brands can reach not only their fans but people very similar in their shopping behavior and affinity for the brands by buying Facebook ads, rather than relying mostly on page posts that in any case reach as little as 16% of fans and even fewer non-fans.

FORBES: Facebook: Yes, Our Ads Work, Chapter 16

Revenue from local businesses was particularly strong in the fourth quarter: local business Pages that advertise on Facebook nearly doubled since the beginning of 2012, fueled by Promoted Posts, which makes it easier for businesses to create and purchase ads directly from their Facebook Page.

FORBES: By The Numbers: Everything You Want To Know About How Facebook Ads Fared In Q4