In 2010, Facebook revealed that it had doubled its users in less than a year and a half, reaching 400 million. The attraction that people have to Facebook isn't difficult to understand. In fact, the Facebook story is so fascinating that it was made into a motion picture that, in my opinion, was one of the best movies of 2010.
With all that FB has to offer, it is sometimes difficult to think of it as branding tool. However, the Facebook fan page provides bloggers, entrepreneurs and organizations with the opportunity to directly engage with their audiences all while leveraging their unique brand.
I recently "liked" Anna And Kristinas Grocery Bag on Facebook. Once I became a fan, I started receiving A&K's status updates and other activities in my user feed located on my home page. After browsing their page, I wasn't surprised to see that the duo already had over 2,500 fans. I used A&K's fan page to come up with a few key tips to consider when building a successful Facebook fan page.
1. Encourage user participation.
A Facebook fan page is not about one way communication. The best fan pages are used as a means to actively engage with fans. This can be done through forum discussions, consumer reviews, polls, status updates, contests and interactive games. Your fans will appreciate that they can produce and/or add their own content.
Anna and Kristina's page is used to host contests where fans can win some of the products reviewed on their show. They encourage user participation by asking their fans to provide their very own product reviews.
2. Multimedia is key.
Anna and Kristina share photos and videos with their Facebook fans that can't be found anywhere else online. What’s great about multimedia is that it can easily be shared around different social media platforms and your fan base will likely increase as a result.
3. Mirror your target audience.
Make sure that the content that you are adding reflects the interests of the people that you are trying to reach. A&K do this by sharing their cookbook and product reviews. There is no doubt that fans of the show will find this information useful when looking for new ideas in the kitchen.
4. Engage, engage, engage.
This is more of a rule then a tip when it comes to all forms of social media. A&K achieve this by replying to users that comment on your their status. They also answer questions and ask fans about their thoughts on trending topics related to food. In conclusion whenever a fan comments on your new status, a photo, a video, a thread, or anything else, you should use this as an opportunity to start a discussion.
Can you think of any other great examples of organizations or individuals that use the Facebook fan page to leverage their brand?
Several industries and organizations come to mind when I think about furthering brand awareness or consumer reach through the use of Facebook.
ReplyDeleteFirst would be the entertainment industry. Movies such as the Dark Knight have over 3.5 million followers on Facebook. Singer Taylor Swift has over 16 million. Now that the movie has been released it is much less relevant but, can be a good tool to help build hype for a new show or movie.
Another industry that uses FB (or social networking in general) and has a tremendous following is beer companies. As Molson Canadian (in my opinion wrongfully) does so well is try to portray the image that since they are "Canadian", you are in a certain way bonded together. They have branded the product so well that people believe the brand has a personality and qualities similar to their own. Although their numbers are significantly less than the others mentioned above, being exposed to half a million (potential) consumers is nothing to shake a stick at.
Finally the designer industry also uses FB. Although I am not overly familiar with this sector, I have taken notice that several of my friends have become friends of brands such as Lululemon and Nike, for the same reasons im sure as the beer companies.
Even though all of my examples contained huge corporations known and followed by millions, it can be just as worth while for people like A&K with a small niche following. Its obviously not an exhaustive list, although its a few big players in the move towards social media.
Jordan - Thank you for your comment and an even greater thank you for being the very first person to comment on my blog. Much like the tips that I have highlighted in this post, I want my blog to be a place where I can engage in conversation with my readers and people who have an interest in the field. So all that to say that I am very appreciative!
ReplyDeleteYou pointed out some great examples and I will be sure to check out the ones that I haven't yet seen.
Dominique