There has been a lot of hype about Facebook and for good reason. Facebook now refers more traffic than Google. This has been driven by the roll out of their Like Button. Adding to this are some massive changes that Facebook have made that are game changing.
How Marketing Has Changed
The power of Facebook has meant that marketing has fundamentally changed from one way advertising to two way. Marketing is becoming much more integrated. As a Brand Manager, we used to talk about the TV campaign matching the point of sale so that all communications were integrated but modern marketing is now more than this. Marketers must integrate all channels to create a fan base. Sadly many businesses are missing this opportunity.
There is a need to think outside of traditional channels or “the website” and expand your marketing via Facebook Fan pages, email marketing, and friend referrals. Doing this will help you have a super engaged audience. In using social media in this way, we will see a whole crowd becoming a larger crowd faster than traditional means. The social movement creates a ripple effect.
Word of Mouth Like Never Before
We all know that word of mouth is one of the most powerful means of marketing. The Facebook Like button means people are referring friends to fan pages and other websites. At the click of a button people can share content instantly and drive qualified traffic. The most interesting thing is that these referrals are not search driven. The whole power of this is that people tend to associate with other people who have similar interests. A friend who refers a friend to another site is most likely going to have an interest in what has been referred which means you can now target very specific segments of the market.
Local Business Marketing With Facebook Places
Facebook has launched Places which means it has taken on ‘Foursquare.’ This could be the death knell for Foursquare. This locational style marketing will help local business by virtual of referral and word of mouth. Businesses can also now interact with clients and users by establishing a reward system. This is a great opportunity for shops and restaurants and wil become a game changer.
Your Website Doesn’t Need to Look Lonely Anymore
You can now use the Facebook connect feature to bring Facebook into your site. When used on your site visitors will see the faces of your friends. This provides social proof – like a mini testimonial that provides assurance. This is a great scenario. Visitors will find it hard to forget about you.
Ecommerce Now Possible on Facebook
You can now integrate Facebook with Paypal and the Visa network. People will now be able to do business on Facebook. They no longer need to leave Facebook to do business. You do not necessarily need a website to do business.
Some Facebook Marketing Tips
Understand that Facebook is not about marketing. People are there to socialise not be marketed to. You need to create relationships and offer real value and solutions to problems. You don’t need to get a massive amount of people joining your page. It is much better to have a smaller targeted group as these will grow your business much faster.
With 5.4 Billion subscribed to fan pages you need to have one. One way of attracting fans is to locate a bestselling product that relates to the services you offer and target those fans. For example, if you are operating in a food niche and want to attract people who love cooking you can use the settings in Facebook to target people who like a particular recipe book and invite them to become your fan. The great thing is that you are targeting people who have proven that they already have an interest in a particular area. They will refer their friends if they like what you are offering.
Once you have a group to target, here are some ideas about what you can do:
- Get a custom made landing tab with your unique brand that offers great content.
- Offer a compelling incentive to encourage people to join.
- Keep adding interesting content to keep your fans engaged.
- Give away something really really cool for your community.
- Solve problems and share other peoples cool content
- Spend a few weeks sharing great content and then ask for help share the word.
- Don’t always sell – offer good value and then sell every now and then.
- Hold events like teleseminars, webinars and information sessions. Use these events for telling and selling.
No comments yet.