Mainly due to people asking advice and being directed to the how to guides on the forum (which prior to then they never knew existed).
The great joy of Facebook for me is that in this context there are less keyboard warriors actively trying to rile the admin. This may be due to the decreased anonymity. They can come on a forum and be twonks under a pseudonym, but on Facebook they tend to use their own names and behave a little more like adults.
I'm no Facebook fanboy, but like all tools it can be a great help (if used correctly). I'm comparatively new to the platform, but I honestly can't understand why so many people bemoan it, after all, you choose what you want to see/reply to. Much like a forum.
Finally someone who can see the flip side...
Too many people seem to think that this forum is the barometer of coupé ownership. The decline of chatter on this forum is cited as being reflective of the decline in owners. Sorry to break it to you guys but it isn't. People are still out there and they are still chatting, they are just choosing to do it on different platforms.
Most people have changed the way they interact with the net and a good many of them now do the majority of their interaction via social networks. These networks are perfect for chatter and rapid interaction. Let's say we arrange a convoy to a meet, but at the last minute someone needs to make a change of location. Via the forum it requires everyone to log in and to check that post. On Facebook one could make the change to the meeting post and ALL those subscribed to it would instantly receive a notification.
Sharing of Photos is another fast and simple task. You take a picture and you upload it to the club Facebook account = instant. No uploading it to one place, then linking it to another and then having to edit code to create a thumbnail
But there are also examples of where the forum kicks the backside out of social media too. Searchable databases of content for example.
I firmly believe that the club has to move into the social media world, ideally several years ago
I know there are people here refusing to take social media accounts and that, quite rightly, is their choice. But you can't ignore that it is there, to do so is to resign this community to the dark ages. I guess there were also people suggesting that this internet thing could never replace the club Magazine, or that downloads would replace CD's.
And finally - Yes the club (Membership) pays for and runs the forum. But the forum alone is not what the club was ever supposed to be about. It is just one element of the club, a tool. Basically it is just an interactive club magazine and database, Facebook should be seen as an enhancement to this service not a competitor and definitely not THE CLUB.