Ah, Facebook. It seems like everyone I’ve ever met, and every brand I’ve ever heard of, is on there. Which is great, because I love the site and I’ve never been stingy with “likes.” But the huge number of Facebook Profiles and Pages poses quite a few challenges for marketers. How do you break through the clutter of a congested and swiftly moving Newsfeed? What’s the best way to reach the right target market and provide effective messaging? And how do you do this without blowing all your budget on paid advertising?
Improve Facebook Messaging and Targeting, For Free
There is no one quick fix on Facebook, and advertising is often a large part of a social media marketing strategy. But there are also plenty of free, standard Facebook features that will help you widen your Facebook reach, improve messaging and better target potential customers.By adding a mix of regional posts to your current content strategy, as well as @ mentions, you’ll be able to target messaging to fans in specific geographic areas and cross-promote your content on like-minded Facebook Pages.
Post a Regional Facebook Update
When a Facebook user signs up for the site, they start by filling out a Profile. This includes basic information, like their birthdate and where they live, as well as their favorite activities, movies, books and more. In the Facebook advertising platform, you can pay to target people very specifically based on their profile information. But you can also target your own fans for free using a regional post. Specify a certain city, state or group of states to show a status update to and only the fans who live in that area will be able to see your page’s post.
Maybe it’s me. But the word algorithm makes me itchy. And yet, it’s behind one of the most fascinating and important features for Facebook Pages: EdgeRank.
What’s an EdgeRank?
There’s a complicated formula behind it, but Facebook is keeping mum about the exact way they calculate EdgeRank. The basic idea centers around engagement. Obviously, the more fans you have, the better. But Facebook is also looking for quality of fans. How often do they take part on your Page, interacting with your content? Do they post pictures, like comments, leave their own wall posts?
Have you ever noticed that you see some friends in your Newsfeed all the time, while others seem to shun Facebook? It’s not exactly true, but your perception of their Facebook activity comes from previous Facebook interactions (or lack thereof). If you commented on Friend A’s photos a few times and they posted back on your wall, and now you click through to keep seeing their new albums in your Newsfeed, you’ll continue to see the content they post. But if you missed a bunch of updates from Friend B and never engaged with their posts, Facebook will remove them from your Newsfeed.
Should you send email about “liking” your Facebook Page? Or should all email links be directed to your website? It’s a common question, and a good one. You need to balance the clear bottom line (driving sales or leads on your site) versus social media buzz. But that’s not to say the two are mutually exclusive. You can deliver results with social media and demonstrate ROI. You’ve just gotta be smart.
Driving people to your Facebook Page doesn’t have to be a dead end. Your email strategy should vary between your site and your Facebook (or Twitter) Page. And that’s where your content comes in. Make your emails work harder than just “like us on Facebook.” That gets old after an email or two. Tell people why they should like you. Special discounts? A new promotion? Give them a reason to click, even if they already like you.
How often you should send emails varies. Some brands do it every day. Others only once a week or once a month. Test what works for your brand. But keep Facebook calls to action in the mix. Facebook fans are more likely to buy your stuff. And they’re also more likely to spend a little extra. These are your biggest brand enthusiasts. (They’re raising their hands to see your updates alongside those of your friends.) Remind them that you’re there.
I get a lot of email. (Mostly about shopping, as you can see from these examples.) Take a look at what these brands are doing and learn from their good ideas, as well as their misses.
J. Crew
Subject: Love J.Crew? We love you too.
The subject line is nice, and reminds you of Facebook in many ways, but it says love instead of like and doesn’t mention the social network explicitly. It could be more direct. The email, however, is simple and to the point. “Like us and you’ll get a special offer.” It doesn’t crowd the email with any other messaging.
It’s estimated that Facebook users see only 10-20% of what their friends post. While the exact figure is hard to prove, it raises a valid point. You cannot assume that every fan will see every piece of content you post on Facebook.
Facebook is a powerful channel, but it’s not the solution to everything. If you’re running a major promotion, you need to support it with other marketing efforts.
There are best practices, of course. Most opportune times to post, preferred length of update, words to use (or not use.) And on top of that, you should always be testing what works for your specific audience. Even if every stat shows that Friday is the best day for engagement, if you get more wall posts on Monday, stick with what’s working for your specific page. No one knows your fans better than you do. But don’t be afraid to experiment with expert data, either.
Just be aware that you are not the only page that your fans have liked. This is especially true for more active users, who are your most powerful resource. Facebook claims that there are nearly 700 million active users on the site, half of whom log on to Facebook on any given day. The average user has 130 friends, and it’s estimated that people spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Faceboo
Spring has sprung! (Or it will any day now.) For me, this means serious closet cleaning and sandal shopping. But if you’re trying to increase your presence in social media, spring cleaning should have a different meaning. It’s time to dust off your old social media strategy (if you have one) and start fresh. Don’t get stuck in a rut because it’s “what you’ve always done.” Spring is for new beginnings, whether it’s fixing something that’s broken or trying a new promotion.
Because I’m both a heavy social media user and a consultant, I’ve interacted with a lot of brands. Some for work, some for fun. So I’ve seen some social media savvy brands who definitely “get” it. And by that I mean balancing customer service with promotional content in a way that allows them to engage with fans in a fun, on-brand way.
Unfortunately, I’ve also come across a few companies that have missed the boat on social media, and sometimes customer service, completely. They ignore questions or cries for help on Twitter and wait until they turn into a Yelp or YouTube PR problem to take action. Worse, they whitewash Facebook posts and delete negative comments to paint a pretty picture of their product or service.
I’m a pretty newfangled girl in a lot of ways. My husband, who’s a few years older, calls me a “digital native.” I think that has something to do with the fact that my first AIM screen name pre-dates my first kiss. But when it came to getting married, I went traditional in a lot of ways. (Minus the Twitter mentions in the vows and Foursquare check-in for the ceremony, of course.)
To Have and To Hold, Online and Off
But there was never any question in my mind that I wanted to take my husband’s name. It wasn’t so much that I liked the name. It was his, and now ours. Since I was little I always assumed I would be a Mrs., like my mom. And while it’s becoming more and more common to keep your maiden name, at least professionally, I never considered it. Even with all the online equity I had in my old name, I wanted to do this the traditional way.
The internet helped in a lot of ways. (Check out MissNowMrs if you’re looking to change your name. Huge help.) But it also threw me a few curveballs. How can it be easier to stand in line at the RMV then get a new profile URL? And if I was getting this frustrated changing my name for a happy occasion, imagine if it was a more bittersweet moment?
Facebook recently changed the Page layout. But another change was announced that seems to have slid under the radar of most Page admins: the deprecation of FBML.
No More Static FBML
FBML (Facebook Markup Language) will no longer be supported as of March 11, 2011. Facebook claims that old tabs will still work, but no new tabs can be created with FBML apps. Facebook tabs will all have to be made with CSS and iFrames, making it harder for Page Admins to create their own custom tabs.
Current FBML Tab Bug
Also making it harder for Page Admins? A Facebook bug that is randomly renaming current FBML tabs to FBML or some derivative of that, overriding the custom tab title as it is displayed on the Page. It looks fine in the backend of the app but stubbornly refuses to show up the way you intended it to on the live display of the Page.
So far, I’ve found that copying and pasting your original FBML tab code into a new FBML box and switching out the tabs will solve the problem. But this will likely stop working after March 11, when new Pages will no longer be allowed to add the FBML app. Tabs created pre-March 11 are supposed to work indefinitely, but it’s unclear whether existing Pages will be able to create a new tab with their current FBML app of choice that’s already installed on the Page. (My guess is no.)
The New Facebook Page Layout
Your best bet? Preview the new Facebook Page layout now and get ready to switch. I haven’t seen any instances of this FBML bug on the new layout, which displays tabs on the left, as opposed to the top, of the Page. (Yes, the conspiracy theorist in me is convinced this “bug” is intended to make people switch faster.)
Take your time and figure out what you need to help your Page look its best in the new layout. The biggest challenge for many will be selecting the five photos to display across the top. They should represent your brand without being a set of boring logos, or confusing event shots that don’t immediately seem connected to your company or Page.
I’m not a big football fan, but I love Superbowl commercials. Last year I DVRed the game to skip to the ads, and this year I just watched them online the next day. And I have to say, Bud Light is slipping. Remember the frogs? They were fun. The King of Beers’ last few ads have been kind of a letdown. And only one commercial really stood out for me this year.
What Advertising Should Be
The Chrysler “Born of Fire/Detroit” ad from Weiden+Kennedy is what commercials should be. OK, maybe it’s a tad overdone, but it stood out from the clutter and got people talking. It was moving. It actually made me want to buy a car. Add the use of hometown hero Eminem and a slightly cheeky tagline “Imported from Detroit” and you have a clear winner.
Contrast that with a Doritos ad that made me nauseous, Coke ads that left me scratching my head and a general un-fun feeling from beer ads that are meant to be about hanging out with friends. This is why traditional advertising doesn’t work. This is why brands are including hashtags in their calls to action and driving viewers to Facebook. Because they can’t create good commercials.
Social media isn’t killing advertising. It’s killing itself. Every oddly animated animal is making people turn off the TV and head for the computer. And the one day a year that usually celebrates traditional television advertising was overwhelmingly underwhelming. Don’t blame social media marketers and Facebook developers for your campaign flops. Take a hard look at your commercial or print ad and ask yourself if anyone would want to look at that, online or off.
No other brand could get away with treating people the way the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transit “Authority”) does. Except perhaps NSTAR, Boston’s other unfair monopoly business. If you are unhappy with the service at a restaurant or store, you shop or eat somewhere else. But if you dare to complain about the MBTA, they tell you to buy a car. (Yes, really. I’ve heard them.)
A Lesson in Customer Disservice
Today I left my house at 7:55am. I walked a few minutes to the bus stop, just in time to see an overpacked bus drive by. Then another one, and another one until finally the fourth bus stopped and I managed to cram on with all the other unhappy commuters. Smooshed unsafely with nothing to hold on to, I’ve now got a nice bruise forming for my trouble.
We arrive at Broadway Station, and the T turnstyle charges me for a full fare, not a transfer like it should. Now I’m late, cold, annoyed, and out an extra $1.50. I head to the train platform and am greeted by hundreds more pissed off South Boston commuters. This time, only two overpacked red line trains go by before I manage to get on. Things are looking up!
I love shopping. (Shocker, right?) And while nothing beats the thrill of the chase through the Saks 60% off sale or early bird deals on Black Friday, the internet makes it possible to score fabulous deals on designers in a way no human shopper could do on her own. Sites that scour the web for your favorite brands and deliver targeted results to your inbox can even pinpoint deals in your size only. Google shopping allows you to narrow by price. And of course, sample sale sites tempt you with flash sales of designers from all price points.
With the help of a well-targeted PR pitch, I recently discovered Style Retail, a Massachusetts-based “shopping portal” that’s reminiscent of Google shopping, but so much more. Style Retail includes the basic principles of a Google shopping search–browse by brand, refine by price, color or store–but is clearly designed by and for the avid internet fashionista. (Which, in case you missed the memo, is totally me.)
I took to Style Retail to hunt down my latest purse obsession and compare prices on Marc Jacobs bags. The results? Way more appealing than Google could ever provide. Plus, you can save searches or add specific items to your wishlist once you sign up. (It’s free and takes 2 seconds.)
Style Retail explains that their goal is “to make online shopping informative, as well as flexible with multiple filtering methods.” I’d say they succeeded. Their blog has fun tips on how to wear trends, which is always helpful on a fashion site. (Bonus points for the blog post on sparkly shoes.)
My prediction? Style Retail will actually make my online shopping take longer, but in a good way. I could see myself getting lost in this site for hours, while I quickly get frustrated on most other digital bargain hunts. So while this site might not be great for your wallet, it’s perfect for picking out a new one. Bottom line? Make this your go-to site for hard to find items and save some time. (And maybe even money.)
I'm an interactive copywriter, social media marketing consultant, Facebook fanatic and advertising junkie living in Las Vegas. I love writing about anything and everything, but especially internet marketing, lip gloss and cool new stuff online. Also co-author of The Facebook Marketing Book from O'Reilly.
presence in social media, spring cleaning should have a different meaning. It’s time to dust off your old social media strategy (if you have one) and start fresh. Don’t get stuck in a rut because it’s “what you’ve always done.” Spring is for new beginnings, whether it’s fixing something that’s broken or trying a new promotion.
tell you to buy a car. (Yes, really. I’ve heard them.)
appealing than Google could ever provide. Plus, you can save searches or add specific items to your wishlist once you sign up. (It’s free and takes 2 seconds.)
