A new study conducted by marketing agency Rosetta, shows that 59% of 100 leading retailers now have a fan page on social network FaceBook. The study was a follow up to similar research conducted in June where only 30% of major retailers were running a FaceBook fan page.

The increase of 29 percentage points from June 2008 shows that major brands are finally beginning to recognize the marketing power of online networks. Some of the major retailers that added pages from the first study include brands like Best Buy, Kohl’s and Toys ‘R Us.

With FaceBook now reaching over 150 million users worldwide, setting up a fan page can be a simple way for businesses to connect with their customers. However, the study also highlights that simply creating a page with no thought or goals might not be the best approach:

“It’s important that retailers don’t just slap up a page because everyone is talking about Facebook. An effective presence requires that you carefully consider what your customers are looking for, what you would like to communicate, and what role a fan page should play in your overall online strategy.”

I expect this figure to hit closer to 100% during 2009 when marketers turn towards ROI driven marketing campaigns and other forms of free social media promotion. If you’re keen to get started with a fan page of your own, check out FaceBook pages.