facebook_victorias_secret

[when you don't have supermodel help]

Anybody can create a Facebook page, and now every brand is.  Whether it’s for a , a , a , , or even , it’s the new standard for appearing to be hip to social media.  Now that , brands must work harder for their fans.  Below are 5 tips that can help a brand’s Facebook page.

VIEW AS A CONVERSATION PLATFORM

Regardless of how many Social Media 101′s or Facebook How-to’s people read, many still kickoff their brand page with a megaphone communications strategy.  Excuse me for my brief SMDB moment, but Facebook is a conversation platform, meaning that it enables dialogues rather than just monologues (1 to many vs many to many).  Brands often fall into the 1 to many routine by broadcasting corporate messaging, signing off, and returning the next day to do the same.  Does this sound like a page worth returning to?  The next 3 tips contain suggestions for avoiding this common pitfall.

HAVE A VOICE

Does your brand have an inherent personality?

YES

This is where said personality should shine.  Whether your brand is edgy or buttoned-up, Facebook can serve as the place to discover and connect with that personality.  Ways  to do this:

  • Share links that align with the personality (i.e. Taco Bell would share a funny YouTube link, Samsung would share a Top 10 CES Trends link)
  • Post status updates and respond to comments like a real person, not a robot with legal looking over its shoulder

NO

Now is the time to establish one.  The easiest way to do this is to have a consistent voice on the page.  Introduce whoever updates the page as your “community manager” and set the expectation that he/she will drive the page’s content and discussion.  Over time, fans will closely associate your brand with how they’ve observed/interacted with this person.

PROVIDE DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT

Fan pages do not follow the Field of Dreams method of success (refresher video above).  Simply building a page doesn’t mean fans will come, and if they do, ever come back.  For many, being a fan on Facebook of a brand is just an extension of who they are and how they digitally represent themselves.  It DOES NOT mean they will visit your fan page regularly, especially with .

Like any website, people need good reason to become repeat visitors.  Below are a few tactics on Facebook that can improve your page’s stickiness:

  • Interactivity – polls, thought starters as status updates
  • Q&A with relevant players – executives, celebrity endorsers
  • Regular links beyond PR and brand news
  • Design - spice up the page and show that it’s an important part of digital strategy by having it professionally designed

INCENTIVIZE FANS

I’m not suggesting that you buy your virtual popularity, but there are ways to entice traffic and engagement:

  • Exclusive discounts – if “exclusive” won’t work for you, just re-name your standard offer as a “Facebook Offer” and you’re set
  • Fan appreciation – rotate the fan page’s profile photo to feature fans showing the brand some love, create a photo album of top fans, start Fan of the Week program, etc.
  • Show fans that their voice/opinion matters – use Facebook as a giant, free focus group from time to time.  Letting the fans decide on a new color/flavor/package/thing will deepen their connection to the brand
  • Treat the fan page like a fan club – make it the first place to reveal exclusive information and content

CTA IN ADVERTISING

If your brand has a media budget, think about its call-to-action at different touch points

  • Offline - Visit brandx.com for more…
  • Online - Click here for more information…(landing page on brandx.com)

Besides the standard corporate obsession with keeping everything in a brand’s controlled environment, why not drive traffic to the Facebook fan page?

  • CRM benefits of gaining new fans
  • Fans can engage in familiar environment
  • Conducive to content pass-along
  • Bulk of brandx.com content can still be featured or linked to on fan page

Facebook will never replace a brand’s website, but it should definitely play a lead role in digital consumer engagement.

What’s missing?  Where do you disagree? Question mark?

 

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