On July 21, Facebook announced a milestone, noting that they have now surpassed half a billion users. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO, stated in his blog post and in interviews that the mission of Facebook remains what it started out focused on: “to make the world a more open and connected place.” For businesses and organizations everywhere, this is a:
“be aware, be very aware”
moment of significance because Facebook has carved out it’s own solar system within the Internet universe! It is no longer just a popular website. It is now a destination all to itself!
This blog post will go over the significance of what this massive Facebook user base means and how businesses and organizations need to evaluate and have a plan for their Facebook presence.
With a user base that is second to only 2 nations in terms of overall population, Facebook has now become it’s own, unique destination. You can do so many things within Facebook, some people may not need to go anywhere else!
Think of Facebook as the “sun” with a growing system of planets around it. These planets are “tools” within Facebook and services provided within the Facebook platform; and the pull of Facebook is strong, as it is building, growing, and pulling more and more industries and markets into it’s unique system…all of which are finding ways to thrive (think ‘grow & expand’ business).
As noted, Facebook has become it’s own, nearly full-service web portal for people to use, it’s own “super power” within the Internet. Increasingly, people will “search Facebook” instead of “search the web”. People find friends, connect with friends, get news, find businesses, research businesses, program new apps, showcase new products, interact with customers, solicit input and feedback, share videos, photos, and more, all within Facebook. This doesn’t discount the need for a great web presence outside of Facebook, but notes the need for a specific plan for within Facebook!
If you aren’t well represented here, you may be losing out on a significant brand awareness and customer building platform. Here are some recent stats on Facebook use:
- Nielsen Online’s US June 2010 report showed that Facebook was 1st out of the top 10 web brands when it comes to time spent online.
- During the month of June, Facebook US users spent an average of four hours and 39 minutes on the site, far surpassing time spent on any other site!
- Globally, average Facebook user spends 6 hours on Facebook per month. Who is second? MSN/WindowsLive/Bing at a mere 2 hrs., 41 minutes.
So what should a business do?
1. Set Your Page Apart
Note that Facebook’s free “Page” tools give you some functionality, but they give EVERYONE the same functionality, so the first agenda of the day is to set yourself apart! Create a Landing Page rather than having new visitors to your Facebook Page come to your wall. If you enjoy FBML coding, you can use Static FBML. If programming is not your thing, then use a tool like TabSite that allows you to customize a Tab and have sub-tabs, all while using a simple WYSIWYG Content Editor.
Explore Media Video Company has a Custom TabSite with Flashthat scrolls thumbnails
across the Fan Page and then display information on hover over and then
displays the video upon clicking. Clean, Crisp, Unique!
2.Engage Your Audience
There are at least three ways to do this, and usually a combination of two will work best:
- Use offers, giveaways or competitions to drive traffic to your page or group.
- Invest in targeted FB ads to recruit fans.
- Find and manually add existing fans/employees etc to build an initial audience.
None of these is a magic bullet but all can help build up your base!
3. Be Social!
Answer questions, respond to input, share a bit about your company and what makes you unique (i.e. let your hair down!). Nothing works better than prompt, thoughtful responses!
See Mari Smith’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/MariSmith for an example of reaching out with timely responses and cheery helpfulness!
4. Reinforce your Brand
Customizing your Fan Page gives you the opportunity to extend your branding. In the example above, Explore Media’s Fan Page includes their logo and looks strikingly similar to their website, see here www.Explore-Media.com. This can give visitors a sense of comfort and recognition when they see your branding and they more readily will “Like” your page and engage with you.
5. Keep Them Coming Back!
Be creative with your Facebook page marketing so that it rewards visitors for increased interaction. Provide some entertainment or added value such as a “Facebook Only Coupon Code” and they’ll keep returning and promoting you across their network.
6. Connect Your Other Social Feeds
There is no shortage of Fan Page Apps that allow you to share your information right on your Fan Page. With Slideshare’s App you can share your papers and presentations, and there’s no excuse not to share your Blog posts, your Twitter feed, and your YouTube Channel! This is IMPORTANT because visitors may not go elsewhere to look you up, so give’em all you can while they are with you! See the Eco-Friendly EverGreen RV Travel Trailer Fan Page below which use the TabSite App to showcase their product, News (via RSS), YouTube Videos, and more right within their Fan Page!
So, to close, remember:
- Facebook is not just a website, it is now a destination!
- To not adequately consider your business presence on Facebook would be a big mistake!
- Times are changing, are you? Develop a Facebook presence, use the tools they give, but expand beyond that with Apps and customizations to give your presence some “bang”!
Hope to see you in the Facebook Solar System!
Since 2005, Mike has played an integral role in designing, deploying, and tracking robust web design and Internet Marketing strategies for over 200 clients, and is an accomplished Internet Marketing Consultant. He holds a M.S. in Organizational Development & Leadership from Shippensburg University of PA, and a B.A. from Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN. Mike is a Web Design and Internet Marketing Consultant at Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc., an innovative web design and internet marketing company based in the Midwest. Digital Hill is the maker of Facebook TabSite, a leading Facebook Fan Page customization tool. Connect with Mike on Facebook at www.MikeGingerich.me.
I am going to be speaking at the Re/Max of Indiana Sales Rally on September 20th in Indianapolis. I am extremely excited to be talking about the secrets of using a blog as a Realtor. Check out the short clip about what I will be talking about!
What’s more important:What you say or what others say about you? When it comes to your brand what matters most to you? Are you self promoting and only allowing good comments to be posted? Where do you draw the line?
Social media is a tool the should be used to help others speak about you. When there’s a negative comment do you delete it? My suggestion is to leave it. Although, it may not be a good or accurate reflection of you it lets others see that you’re real. If all you ever read is good content (about something) then usually you jump to the conclusion that something is not right with that individual. We’re not perfect and we can’t make everyone happy. The bad comment won’t ruin you. It’ll give you credibility. It shows that you can take criticism. You can deal with it and you can move on from it. However, do not mistake dealing with it as ignoring it. You want to respond to all negative publicity no matter how severe.
You can draw the line at slanderous material.
Self promotion is good when done in moderation. I would rather not go to your Twitter account and only see you patting yourself on the back. Yes, it’s good to read about your accomplishments and your other latest successes… However, there has got to be more to you than that. If not, consider yourself un-followed. Thank you very much. Spend time complimenting the successes of other people. Get to know your followers and give back by retweeting or engaging in conversations. Engaging with others fosters relationships, which will ultimately create community that you are apart of. This bodes well for you especially when a dreaded negative comment appears.
In times of trouble you’ll have all the friends you need to back you up because of the community you’ve invested in. It’s similar to the old saying “treat others as you’d like to be treated”. We may have grown up but childhood principles can always be applied.
Since 2002, Chad H. Pollitt has played an integral role in designing, developing, deploying, executing and tracking robust web marketing strategies for over 100 client companies and organizations and is an internet marketing expert. †He holds a BS in Entrepreneurship from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and an Internet Marketing Masters Certification from the University of San Franciscoís prestigious School of Business and Management.
Isn’t building a loyal Army of fans the goal of every Social Media Campaign?† Yes and no. . .† Ultimately, the goal is to grow sales, lead generation, solicit donations, etc., but social media conversion is still in its infancy.† It’s not like an ecommerce site or a company’s website that uses calls-to-action (CTAs) and unique value propositions (UVPs) to generate leads or convert visitors. †New Facebook apps like Digital Hill’s TabSite is leading the way in social media conversion technology by allowing fan pages to use CTAs and UVPs to funnel visitors to a desired action.
Since †direct customer acquisition and lead generation is still in its infancy in social media, one very simple and important metric to consider is number of fans.† Whether you’re a brand, offering a product or service, non-profit, political campaign, etc., if you use social media as one of your marketing channels you’re attempting to build the biggest fan base possible while encouraging, creating and controlling the virtual conversation through engagement on the social media platform.† Facebook, in most cases, is the best way to create an online community for your fans to socialize and communicate about your product, service, etc.† Nothing brings people together faster than uniting them around a cause or a new product or service that will add value to their life.
Below are 13 ways you can rally the troops and build a loyal Army of Facebook Fans:
1.† Focus On What Matters
People only go to the internet for two reasons.† To solve a problem or be entertained.† Most businesses are in the business of solving problem.† If people “Like” your brand they are doing it to align their personal brand with yours, vouch for your product or service, solve their problems or potential problems, or be entertained.† Regardless of why they’re your fan make sure you focus on what matters to them.
2. Create Networks
Lobby Facebook for your own company or brand network that your employees can join. As far as I can tell, Facebook only requires an email address to associate with that network. The more employees a company has in the network, the more influence and reach that network will have.
http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=add_work
3.† Building Rituals
It is very important to establish routines in order to develop your fan’s expectations for future engagement.† Rituals should help build a sense of online community by offering regular give-a-ways, coupons, blog posts, etc.
4. Connect Your Blog
If “Content is King” and “Backlinks are Queen” then Blogs are Gods. I recommend to all of my clients to let their Blog power their Social Media campaigns. Through the use of the TabSite or NetworkedBlogs’ Facebook app it’s never been easier to connect your blog to your Facebook Business Page.
http://www.facebook.com/networkedblogs
5. Offer Unique Value
Why should someone “Like” your Facebook Business page? If you offer your prospective fans something of perceived value they’re much more likely to become a fan. Through numerous Facebook apps you can give away coupons, whitepapers, ebooks, etc. Here’s one of my favorites:
http://apps.facebook.com/slideshare
6.† Define the conversation
Since you control the platform, you control the conversation.† Not only can you make the initial engagement, but you can jump in your community members conversations as well.† If a post can be construed as negative you’ll have the ability to delete it.† You can show wall posts only after you’ve approved them.† Keep in mind though, not all negative conversations are bad.† When the iPod first came out it received horrible reviews for being easily scratched.† Apple turned that around by selling millions of cases!
7. Promote Your Brand and Company Through Engagement
Organizations can engage their fans or prospective fans through quizzes, contests, virtual gifts, games and many more. Large brands such as Honda and Outback Steakhouse are two good examples of deployment success. Engagement can be done utilizing dozens of free Facebook apps or through custom development (shameless plug, call me). Below is one of the more popular free apps:
http://www.facebook.com/wildfireinteractive
8.† Develop Loyal Lieutenants
Why not reward some of your most vocal fans and supporters with a bigger role in your fan page content creation?† Offer to post their blog article or video to Facebook.† They will not only appreciate the engagement and new status as a fan, but will become a bigger cheerleader of your brand.† †
9. Create Custom Tabs
Every organization is unique in their own way and not all “ready-made apps” can effectively communicate this message. Restaurants may want to lay out their menu, Real Estate Agencies may want to present pictures and contact information for all of their Realtors and manufacturers may want a custom “About Us” page. The above can easily be achieved through the development of a custom tab utilizing Facebook TabSite. This should help get you started:
10. Leverage the Wall Feed: Go Viral!
Wall feeds are the first thing your fans see when they log in. If you compel them to “Like” or engage with your post, all of their friends will be notified and may follow suite (hence, going viral). Compelling content should only require a little extra effort when planning out your post or maybe even some humor.
11. Get Your Vanity URL
Once your Facebook Business page acquires 25 fans you can create a unique Facebook URL (ex. http://www.facebook.com/YourBusinessNameHere). This will allow you to market your Facebook Business page offline. For the last six weeks Honda has been running television ads sending people to their branded Facebook page via a vanity URL.
Creating a vanity URL that is keyword heavy is worth considering too. If you’re a Chicago plumber you may want to consider http://www.facebook.com/ChicagoPlumber. Google may find your content relevant enough to put your Facebook Business page on the first page for the search “Chicago Plumber.” Even if your company website is on the first page of Google, having your Facebook Business page on the first page of Google will increase the likelihood of your company getting a click-through while simultaneously taking away a link from one of your competitors.
http://www.facebook.com/username
12. Facebook Advertising (PPC or PPV)
Facebook allows you to advertise a website, business page, group or event. I always recommend the Pay Per Click option over the Pay Per View. Facebook advertising also allows you to market to a specific geography, gender, age, keywords, education level and more. Compared to Google Adwords, Facebook Advertising is much more targeted.
http://www.facebook.com/advertising
13. Track Analytics Using Facebook Insights
With Facebook Insights you can get detailed data on your fan page visitors. You’ll know what demographics are visiting your page. If you couple this with Google Analytics on your website you will have two very powerful tools that enable you to monitor your campaigns.
http://www.facebook.com/insights
The business debate rages on about email marketing and social networks (social media). Should businesses focus more attention on their social media accounts like Twitter and Facebook…or email interactions? I tend to land right in the middle. Frankly, I’m pretty tired of people just arguing for the sake of arguing. What does the customer want? How does the customer want to receive YOUR information? Sometimes businesses fall short and forget the simple age old rule: Customers First. I don’t care if you don’t want to spend time on Twitter or you think it is stupid. I don’t care if email takes way tooooo long. If a customer has subscribed to your email, follows your tweets and has liked your fan page… they must want to be contacted through these channels (maybe). The debate continues on… which one to use… when and for what?
When deciding how to share information with your customers you must first understand how customers view each and every channel.
According to MediaPost Publications, the majority of costumers view email as the least intrusive way for companies to engage . Customers trust email more than social networks. Period. They believe they know how to avoid being scammed in email but do not fully understand the risks in social networks. Email is also viewed as being a good source for detailed information or when looking for exclusive deals.
Facebook engagement is more for entertainment purposes. Although customers can still get information and access to deals it offers a fun, different experience with the company.
Twitter is simple and to the point. It also fosters a relationship between the brand and the customer… which can generate brand loyalty and trust. Like the people, like the brand.
So, which reigns as king? There really is no channel that surpasses the other. However, there are channels that are more appropriately suited for delivering different messages to the consumer. If we can agree that Facebook is more for entertainment then let loose a little (have fun with your fans on Facebook). Email your customers when you need to share some updates or detailed information. An email is private. Twitter is perfect for engaging in a conversation with your customers. Get to know them and let them get to know the company on a more personal level.
Customers (for the most part) haven’t changed but there communication expectations have… thanks to social media and the Internet.
