So, you're maybe launching a new campaign, maybe a product launch, something like that. You've limited budget and time, do you create a micro-site, a new Facebook fan page or section within your current site? I've faced this dilemma before and I came across this article from Guy Kawasaki, which I feel offers some valuable perspective from somebody like him, so I wanted…
One in four page views are on Facebook in the US
Hitwise has reported that visits to Facebook accounted for over 10% of US Internet traffic in the week ending November 13, 2010, year-on-year that's a whopping 63.5% up from the same period in 2009.
Of course, both Google and You Tube show Growth as well, but nothing like Facebook - this is on top of Facebook reaching it's other milestone this year when it overtook Google in the US to become the most-visited website of the week (March 13, 2010).
But what's really interesting here is that content consumption via Facebook has also increased: Nearly one in four page views in the US took place on Facebook in that same…
Yesterday, Facebook launched 'Deals' - a new application within Facebook's now updated iPhone app - it will let you find deals at nearby businesses. It's only available on iPhone for now, and only in the US until early next year.
Mashable explains that there are four types of deals: "Individual Deals (for discounts, free stuff or other rewards), Friend Deals (where you and a pal claim something together), Loyalty Deals (for the regulars) and Charity Deals (which allow you to donate to a cause)".
The concept is simple enough - users look for the yellow icon when they Check In using Places. You then click on the deal to claim…
After my post last week, a few observations jump out that I feel are worth consideration before investing in Facebook Page development.
Jay Baer mentioned that after mining their client Facebook API data, Brand Glue have found that 99.5% of all comments (those crucial interactions) on their client"€™s status updates come from within the News Feed, not on the Wall of the pages themselves.
Facebook expert Mari Smith estimates that fewer than 0.5% of all status updates are shown in members"€™ "Top News feed" (the default Wall setting used by ~95% of…
The Power of Customised Facebook Landing Tabs
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Our commentary: This is a useful post by Jay Baer on the Social Media Examiner site. His point is that though getting someone to click your "Like" button is paramount to success, once they have you need to work them since 99.5% of user interactions come from the user's wall or newsfeeds, naturally. This data (from Facebook consultancy BrandGlue), makes getting "liked" your major objective, otherwise your simply not in the game. So how can you get more likes? BrandGlue suggest that using a custom landing tab on their clients Welcome page increases their conversion rates by 100% or more in almost every case.
[caption id="attachment_3574" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Red Bull using Pagelever to drive "Likes""][/caption]
Marketing implications: The great news is that custom landing tabs are easy and inexpensive to create. Here are three options for…
Facebook fan page success is an effect of being a great company, not a way to become one
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Our commentary: Great post on Convince & Convert, as unintentional as it may be, we are being misled if we believe everything we read, Jay states "it"€™s in the best interests of Facebook, the media, application developers, and sometimes even brands themselves to concoct pseudo-science that "€œproves"€ that people that "€œlike"€ your company are instantly turned into a zombie army of influential advocates. But it"€™s simply not true" - another study from global ad agency DDB found that 92% of Facebook fans would likely recommend the liked product to a friend. Jay goes on "what I can"€™t abide, and what I want to put a stop to right now, is the notion that Facebook fan pages are a cause of advocacy. Instead, Facebook fan page "€œlikes"€ are primarily the manifestation of advocacy…
Fish Where The Fish Are
Value: [rating=4]
Our commentary: Oreo is one of the most popular Facebook pages in the world, I didn't know that until today so Googled around to learn why and how they had achieved this. This video explains how that's been achieved. The strategy Beth Reilly and her team at Kraft Foods use follows the old adage of "fish where the fish are" and reach Mums on Facebook, where they are already spending their time.
Kraft Foods: How Oreo Learned to Fish Where the Fish Are, presented by Beth Reilly from GasPedal on Vimeo.
Marketing implications: I feel that the big question is how do you manage 11 MILLION fans on Facebook!? Let alone build it. That's a big community and impossible for any team to respond to every comment from every fan "€” as it turns out, Oreo don"€™t have to.
Reilly…
Techniques to engage your audience through Facebook pages
Value: [rating=4]
Our commentary: H&M has amassed millions of fans of their Facebook presence.
I think many companies can learn from the approach used for their online presence.
In fact, you could argue that their Facebook page is more important and more effective than their main website which has been heavily criticised for its recent launch.
Marketing implications: This article from Mind Jumpers shows you that to get the best results from Facebook suggests you need to:
1. Experiment to learn the best way to interact with your Facebook audience. This article from Mind Jumpers shows how H&M "Amuse, Involve and Help"
2. "Make It Simple" to interact - their main tab on Facebook links through different methods of engaging their audience on their main site. This is lo-fi but effective.
3. Tailor international brands to the…
The showdown... or is it?
Value: [rating=4]
Our commentary: A slightly different format to usual as I am interested more in hearing people's experiences and thoughts in this post.
The recommended link below will take you to a discussion group for news businesses which has some really interesting comments around which channel provides a better ROI (Facebook or Google PPC). I found this article interesting for a number of reasons both from a personal & professional standpoint as advertising within social networks is both quite new & controversial. Before I give my opinion on the matter (next week) it would be great if you could participate by leaving your comments / experience with Facebook advertising vs Google Paid search below.
I'd be interested in your thoughts on any of these:
Reach gained
Brand perception / building
Your experience with both systems
What were your motivations to use Facebook
Did you drive people to a fan page or your website?
How…
Home Depot and Jet Blue reveal the Good, Bad and the Ugly
Value: [rating=4]
Our commentary: In this post from iMedia Connection they highlight the threads of two brands' consumer interactions on Facebook: one that got it right (Home Depot) and one that got it wrong (JetBlue).
These conversations demonstrate what works and what doesn't, and serve as strong examples for how you can fashion your Facebook interactions based on online behavior.
Marketing implications: It's not that you need huge experience in managing customer interactions online - I think these two threads provide great insight and prove just how much common sense is needed in the approach, and more than anything else, that being awake, listening and taking time to respond is what's important.
It also highlights how we have to listen and interact when social networks like Facebook create a powerful (and increasingly used!) feedback loop, whether we like it or not.
Recommended link: …
