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The purpose of this top ten tips is to provide brand marketers with a series of strategies and best practices for engaging consumers on Facebook through the use of Pages and the Facebook News Feed. Most of the tips that we offer are actionable steps that can be taken without relying on web developers and designers. This white paper (see end of this page for link) is filled with pointers that are simple to implement – all it takes is a little bit of effort and a lot of persistence and dedication. Before you know it, you’ll turn your meager fan base into an army of dedicated brand advocates who are willing to help you market your brand.
These tried and true strategies have produced results for our clients (including seven of the top ten brand advertisers in the world). Remember, Facebook is a TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION CHANNEL. In-your-face banner ads and rich media take-overs are quickly becoming a thing of the past – as invisible to regular Internet users as the code that powers the websites that they visit. Your Page should focus on maintaining a conversation with your fans. It’s called social media for a reason – read on to find out how to make your brand social.
Tip 1: Content is King
With millions of Facebook users worldwide, it’s impossible to pigeonhole the desires of everyone. If you’re not trying to reach a specific audience, it’s OK to cast a wide net with your content strategy. However, if your users fit a particular demographic, it’s important to remember that your brand connections have already expressed a desire to learn more and interact with content suited to their interests. Concentrate your content strategy on imagery and messaging that is familiar to your advocates, but punctuate that familiarity with something that users have never seen before.
Example #1: Aflac
Aflac’s mascot, the Aflac Duck has a pervasive presence in popular culture. As a result, the brand decided to concentrate their Facebook strategy on their well-known ‘spokes-duck.’ The design of the Facebook tab matches the aesthetic of the corporate site, but the content focuses solely on the Aflac duck, rather than Aflac’s core offering of supplemental insurance. Facebook fans are treated to a library of Aflac duck commercials (which are unavailable on the corporate website), the Duck’s official Twitter feed, and virtual Duck gifts, which link directly to the point of purchase on Aflac’s e-commerce microsite www.duckgear.com.
The bottom line here is do not reinvent the wheel. Leveraging pre-existing assets allows for branding consistency as well as quick turnaround times when updating or changing the content on your tab. However, don’t just duplicate your corporate website on your Facebook Page. We’ve had a lot of clients who have had success using content that’s familiar to visitors of their website in social ways. Brands from virtually any vertical can unearth archival images from past ad campaigns and use them in a variety of ways to treat fans to engaging and interactive content on their Facebook Page.
Example #1: Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue has been a New York fixture since 1902. The brand is familiar to consumers all over the world as a standard bearer in the world of luxury shopping. Saks is no stranger to print and direct mail advertising. It’s been their bread and butter for the good part of a century. The Wall Post below demonstrates a brilliant aspect of their Facebook marketing strategy. ‘Saks Archive Fridays’ is the perfect example of a brand leveraging existing assets as a part of a social media campaign. Saks can recycle nostalgic imagery on a regular schedule while providing fans with exclusive looks at fashions from a bygone era. In addition, the scheduling of archival content dispersal sets user expectations, giving fans a reason to return to the Page on a weekly basis.
Tip 3: Fans Only
Fan totals are the most transparent metric on Facebook. As a result, the gradual increase in your fan base is one of the primary means of displaying social marketing success. Drive up those fan numbers by ‘gating’ your tabs and sapplets. The key is a strong call to action that will spur first time visitors to ‘like’ your brand for access to content reserved for brand advocates. <
Example #1: Samsung USA
The ‘Fan Only’ Sweepstakes or Give-Away gets a lot of press in social media circles. Brands are eager to brag about their drastic fan-count increases that result from these ‘holistic’ campaigns. The reason holistic is in quotes is that these success stories need to be taken with a grain of salt. Many of the most successful ‘fan only’ promotions have been supported by large ad buys, which are naturally going to drive up fan tallies. Add the prospect of ‘free stuff’ into the mix and you’ve got a recipe for explosive growth. However, not all brands have the money to spend on media or the resources to give away free merchandise. But potential fans can still be incented to like your Page with the promise of exclusive content that only fans can interact with.
Tip 4: Keep it Fresh
Facebook is a dynamic medium and users expect constantly changing content. Capturing return users is key to the success of your Page as these connections have expressed more than a cursory interest in your brand. Make sure you meet their expectations by providing fresh content whenever possible. Whatever you do, don’t let the Page get stale. In our experience, brands that post Newsfeed stories about updated content have seen dramatic increases in traffic to their custom tabs in the twenty-four hour period after their announcement.
Example #1: People.com
Fifteen years ago, People Magazine didn’t have much competition in the ‘celebrity weekly’ sub-vertical of periodical publishing. In the years since, the real-time nature of information dispersal on the Internet has made it imperative for People.com to have a scalable and sustainable web presence. Without the ability to constantly update content with the most topical and relevant news, People.com would fall well behind the hundreds of websites that post fresh stories and imagery on a daily basis.The example ( see fullreport link end of page) to the left displays one aspect of People.com’s 360-degree strategy to spur return visits to their Facebook Page. Each day People.com updates a ‘Hot Topic’ quiz on their custom tab with a question that relates to one of the entertainment stories that people chat about around the water cooler. Rather than trusting that fans will return of their own volition, People publishes a corresponding News Feed post which calls-out the topic of the day and drives traffic directly to the freshly updated content on their Page.
Tip 5: We Have a Winner!
Limited time promotions, contests, and sweepstakes are some of the most powerful weapons in the Facebook advertisers’ arsenal. The ticking clock is a sub-conscious psychological motivator for users to take an action on your page. However, limited time contests work best if they are true to their name. Creating a conga-line of contests will only have your users dancing towards the exits to avoid what they see as an ulterior motive for forthcoming spam. Several of our clients have increased traction and return visits to their tabs by running frequent unannounced sweepstakes and raffles. The element of surprise is key to roping in frequent returnees.
Example #1: Budwesier
Budweiser is constantly rolling out new content to keep their Facebook Page topical. Most of their social promotions are tied to a specific events or holidays – typically the times when the purchase of alcoholic beverages is peaking. In the example above, Budweiser implemented an unannounced sweepstakes, which gave fans a chance to win tickets to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The Sweepstakes was ‘fan-gated’ and flanked with supporting content, which was all relevant to the busy summer music festival season. A simple sweepstakes presents a minimal barrier for entrants, as users just need to supply basic personal information for chance to win – rather than submitting or uploading photos, videos, or testimonials. A random drawing increases entries because every user feels like they have a chance at the grand prize.
Tip 6: Comments Spur Conversation
You want users to interact with the content on your tabs and you want them to share their thoughts about your brand with the community. Both can be accomplished with the implementation of a FB Comment section on your custom tab. Prompt your connections to engage with the Plug-In and subsequently voice their personal opinions by publishing their comment to the Facebook News Feed. With Facebook’s plans to socialize the web, it’s crucial to let your user base know that you see them as more than data points. Let the people’s voice be heard!
Example #1: Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors has filled their Facebook Page with a wealth of content about each make/model of car in their line-up. While the Page is filled with information, photos, andvideos to excite potential automobile buyers, the brand is also careful not to ignore current and long-term Mitsubishi owners. A simple FB Comment Wall was paired with a thumbnail image of the front grill of a vintage Mitsubishi. Users were asked to weigh in and guess the model and year based on the clue provided. This concept provided a forum for conversation that can be easily updated with new imagery and questions in order to keep fans coming back for more.
Tip 7: Let Users Guide Content
Flexibility is crucial when it comes to planning and implementing your Facebook marketing strategy. The key to success is the ability to make content changes frequently. Prompt your users to upload photos and add the best submissions to an image gallery or ask your connections to weigh in on what they’d like to see on the Page. If your brand has a cohesive marketing strategy that accounts for both traditional and digital media, experiment with letting your fan base dictate the direction of Facebook content proliferation. Or take it one step further and let advocates have a say about your television and print ad campaigns.
Example #1: Taco Bell
Taco Bell has well over two million Facebook fans, thanks in no small part to their popularity amongst Facebook’s largest demographic (18-34 year olds). The fast-food giant is not afraid to let their powerful audience have a voice in the direction of their Facebook campaigns. A promotion in early 2010 prompted users to join in a crusade for the re-release of the US two-dollar bill and a longer-running campaign focuses on a retro-inspired team of Taco Bell superheroes. However, the brand doesn’t rely solely on their customized content to engage their fans. Taco Bell’s social marketing team ensures that the brand maintains a constant presence in the Facebook News Feed with posts similar to the example above. In this case, the brand polls users to see which menu item they would like to see featured in the following week’s profile photo.
Tip 8: Set Engagement Goals
When you let your fans know what your goals are, they’ll naturally take actions to help you succeed. Include messaging that promises users first-look content, if they help you reach internal goals for interactions, comments, likes, and fan totals. When your goals are reached, make sure to thank your fans for their help – and more importantly make sure you deliver what you promised. These fans are in your corner – let them do your marketing for you!
Example #1: Steve Madden, La-Z-Boy
In both examples above, brands leveraged the wide-reach of the Facebook Newsfeed to keep fans updated on the progress of two disparate social marketing campaigns. Steve Madden deployed a sweepstakes with drawing times determined by the growth of the Page’s fan base. Daily News Feed messaging updated the audience about the growing fan count and informed users about winners and the next drawing milestone. La-Z-Boy recently launched a charitable campaign to help raise money for ‘Ronald McDonald House.’ The campaign is driven primarily by donation drop-boxes at retail stores and Ronald McDonald Houses across the nation, but Facebook activity by fans also plays a large part in spreading awareness and boosting the amount of money raised. The graphic above represents a small piece of the campaign: for each virtual Comfort Bear shared, La-Z-Boy will donate a dollar to this worthy cause. Notice the prominent call to action as well as the counting ticker which dynamically displays the campaigns progress towards its goal.
Tip 9: Start a Conversation
Facebook is the most powerful communication tool on the planet. What’s the best way to start a dialogue with your brand advocates? Ask a question, of course! Prompting users to share their personal feelings and opinions engenders a feeling of trust – and let’s your fans know you are always listening. Take things one step further by reposting user responses as officialmessaging. Don’t forget to give the fans their props by including a call-out to their name or a comment on their activity.
Example #1: Carnival Cruise Lines
All the action on the Facebook Page doesn’t necessarily have to take place on the Wall or the custom tab. Carnival Cruise Lines constantly monitors their Photos tab for user-submitted pictures. This is particularly important for a travel/hospitality brand, as people love posting photos of their vacations to Facebook for their friends to see. In this example, six satisfied cruisers posted an image of their reverie aboard one of Carnival’s ships. Carnival proved that they care about their loyal customers by commenting on the fan photo. Even better, the response was highlighted by a personal signature from a Carnival employee.
Tip 10: Publish or Perish
Without the Facebook Newsfeed, all of the above strategies are doomed for failure. Your Wall – and its ability to post messaging to each fans’ home page- is the primary driver of return visits to Facebook Pages. If you’re not letting your fans know what’s happening on your Page, it’s likely they won’t proactively choose to return. Engage your brand advocates with Newsfeed posts that ask questions, reveal enhancements, or make promises. Remember, the Wall is onlyn part of the social experience – so be sure to drive your fans to your custom tab. This will undoubtedly provoke more interaction and sharing, which naturally leads to more traction foryour Page.
Example #1: The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries was one of the most successful new shows of the Fall 2009 television season – and that success shows in the fan count of close to 3 million on the program’s Facebook Page. The Wall and News Feed are crucial to any television show’s success on Facebook. There are a number of different strategies that can be employed to keep the show at the forefront of the fan’s mind. The CW’s Vampire Diaries follows a logical cycle of progression in its News Feed strategy. First, the CW posts a story about the next airdate; they follow soon after with a sneak-peak at the forthcoming episode. These initial posts are typically followed by several messages offering access to supplemental content like the interactive material on the custom tab or exclusive web-content on the CW website. Once an episode airs, the Vampire Diaries rewards fans who might have missed the episode by immediately posting a link to watch the full-episode online.
You will find more great examplesfrom Buddy Media if you download the complete white paper @ Buddymedia.com
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