What Do Facebook Fans Want from Your Brand?

October 10th, 2011

Facebook fans expectations after LikingDo you sometimes feel unsure of what Facebook fans want after they Like your brand? That’s why studies about Facebook consumer behavior are so helpful in guiding businesses on what to expect from their customers and how to fulfill those needs.

An eMarketer study shows that the top reason that customers Like a brand is that they want to gain access to exclusive content. 58% of users feel this way for a reason – they want to be special! With the holidays just around the corner, fans want to access coupons, sales and more. Next up, fans want to hear about updates about your company. Hearing about people and company events is a great way to encourage brand awareness and give fans a break from updates about services and products.

Different media uploads will help your updates get more clicks. 47% of fans expect posts, photo and video updates. These posts are more likely to get read and will add a more interesting touch to an otherwise plain text update. People are visual and would rather much SEE something than read it.

28% of fans want to interact with a person or brand. Check out Dr. Mike Dow and CareerBuilder for some examples of the different types of conversation that fans want to engage in. Next, 27% of fans want the company to have access to their public profile and information. Even with all the talk of privacy concerns, people are still willing to share their demographic information and interests with interesting brands that they trust.

The one thing that seems slightly confusing is that 37% of users “do not expect anything to happen” after Liking a company. I guess these people are also the 37% who also want the name of the company to show on up their profile. This endorsement is not a bad thing but the hard part is keeping up with the work to retain their interest in your brand.

Let us know what you think about this study and if it reflects why you associate with brands on Facebook. You can also read our related blog post on how Facebook Likes affect retail businesses.

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Facebook, What Have You Done for Me Lately?

September 26th, 2011

Facebook for businessesCompetition is always good for customers, right? Some people believe that all these new Facebook features are an aggressive response to Google +. Whether you think so or not, there’s no doubt that Facebook wants to be the star of the show in the social media world.
On September 30 (or 29th, depending on the source), Facebook will be launching a new Timeline feature. If you can’t wait to see it, Mashable has an easy guide that you can follow to get a sneak preview.

New features are great for consumers, but what about businesses? One thing that I noticed with this new Timeline interface is that the space for paid ads on the right has been greatly reduced. Where will these ads go and how do businesses take advantage of this new layout? You can bet on it – Facebook has a thing or two up its sleeve for small businesses. In fact, Facebook is launching an education program for small businesses. This initial outreach will consist of informative webinars and case studies where owners can learn more about Facebook marketing.

But wait, there’s more! In October, Facebook is sponsoring “road shows” across the country as a part of it’s Small Business Boost. This injection into the small business community will continue into 2012, where some small businesses will be eligible to receive $50 of advertising credit.

Social media is always evolving but the changes are motivating, as it always makes you think about how new changes will effect businesses. What are your thoughts on the new Timeline, small business features and anything else Facebook related?

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Are QR Codes Necessary for Your Business?

September 8th, 2011

Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to fall victim to the herd mentality of social media marketing trends. Instead of looking at it in a “I want this” and “I want that” kind of way, it’s more effective to take a step back and look at WHY your business should be partaking in WHAT.

In our previous post about marketing tactics for small businesses, we saw that QR codes were proven to be the least effective out of 6 different techniques and yet 29% of small businesses were using them just because their competitors were.

Here’s an example of what I mean – I recently saw an ad for a medical procedure targeted towards senior citizens. And what was predominately displayed on the front? A QR code. Granted my grandparents do know how to use Skype, I doubt that they or a majority of their peers will make good use of utilizing QR codes.

Before you want the next “big” thing for your business, take the time to think about who will be using it and what benefits they’ll get from doing so. This isn’t to say that QR codes are ineffective but it depends on how you use them. Mashable shows some creative uses for these codes. If you’re a hip new restaurant or creative agency, these uses of QR codes really make sense to me. It’s also more effective because it ties into your business and it isn’t just crudely posted somewhere for the sake of being there.

What are your thoughts on using QR codes to market your business?

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Where Does Search Fit Into Social Media?

August 23rd, 2011

social searchSocial media marketing and SEO: one should not exist without the other. Your business and customers will benefit the most when these two work in synergy. Effective optimization requires an understanding of how and why social media works to connect you with customers. Content plays a big role on whether you succeed or whether your business is left behind.

From the beginning of your social media campaign, you should also look at it from a keyword advertising point of view. This means using this keywords as you optimize photos, videos, bio information in your profiles, URL names and more. Remember, you are choosing these keywords based on research about your your customers are searching for your products/services. Sound complicated? We’d be glad to discuss our thorough strategy that goes into every SEO campaign with you!

Nowadays, you cannot look at social media without think about SEO and vice versa. While some think that this is a curse, this is a blessing for businesses who are willing to embrace this dynamic channel.

Why does it matter?

A study from last year shows that search AND social results  make an impact on the online buying decision.  the impact of social media Online buyers rely on a healthy mix of search and social media throughout the purchasing process. Take a look at what buyers think as important:

So, if you still think social media isn’t important after all… your business will truly suffer. The benefits of incorporating social and search features onto your website will grow your business because of the increase in online/offline word of mouth recommendations. This will help open up new conversations with potential customers that you would never reach by just using traditional marketing.

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Would You Pay With a Tweet?

July 21st, 2011

Would you post a Tweet in exchange for a whitepaper, ebook, song or any other digital good? That’s the exact idea behind Pay With a Tweet. With this “social payment” system, consumers “purchase” by tweeting about a certain “product”. By doing so, they create more buzz surround their purchase amongst their personal social network. If others are interested, they will do the same and further spread the promotion of your business. It’s a win/win situation for both parties!

So, does this really work and why would people click links anyway? A recent article by Dan Zarrella shows that accounts that tweet a lot of links are correlated with a high number of followers. And more links = more chances of clicks, which will help bring you more traffic. It’s no wonder that viral marketing comes to mind with this type of promotion. People will go click-happy over free things, especially if what you’re selling is good.

How exactly? The band, The Teenagers, have used this to start their own viral promotion of a new single by asking fans to pay with a tweet. Who doesn’t like free music?! But this service is also works outside the entertainment industry. Besides selling content, you can also get creative, as the site suggests: trial runs of your service, a sneak peak of an ad, or even samples your portfolio.

Pay With a Tweet also works with Facebook so you can pay with a Facebook update. What do you think and have you tried this free service yet?

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Coming Soon: Google + for Businesses

July 8th, 2011

Google sure likes the aspect of exclusivity when it comes to their new products, don’t they? Well, it seems to be working well for their latest project: Google +. Invites for exclusive trial accounts for Google + quickly exceeded “capacity”, as not everyone who was invited was lucky enough to score an account. I guess we’ll just have to wait! And for business accounts, it looks like we’ll have to wait even longer! Information Week reports that business users will have to wait until later this year.

Here are a few tidbits about Google +:

- You can easily organize and share with the different people in your life by placing them in different Circles
- Concerned about privacy? You should know that Google intends to make all Profiles public and searchable.
- Confused about the new vocab? Facebook has Likes and Google + will use Google + 1.
- If you’re interested in group video chat, Google Hangouts will be your new favorite thing!

What do you think about Google + and are you excited about it or do you think it’s just another social platform?
Make sure to check out Social Media Examiner’s in-depth guide to using Google +.

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Is Video Chat the Next Social Networking Trend?

July 6th, 2011

facebook video chatEveryday, social media networking is becoming more personal. So, does video chat sound like a good thing? Facebook thinks so as they unveiled their new joint venture with Skype today.

Video isn’t a new idea but Apple fans still went crazy over the FaceTime feature, which was the selling point of Apple’s iPhone 4 last summer. For now, there are many one on one chat services but look for group video chats and conferencing in the future. This way, businesses can really get into the game of using video chat as a communication tool.

I don’t expect to be using video chat anytime soon but I think it can be a helpful tool if utilized properly. Other critics pointed out that Skype and Google Video Chat have been around for a long time, so this new feature wouldn’t necessarily be considered “groundbreaking” on Facebook’s part.

What do you think of video chat from the perspective of the consumer and business? I could see this being useful to complement webinars, Tweetups and other social networking events.

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The Value of a Facebook Fan

June 30th, 2011

How much is a Facebook Fan really worth? When it comes to Facebook marketing, this is an answer that all business owners would like to know.

However, it’s more difficult to calculate ROI on social media marketing because post impressions, Likes and comments can’t always be directly tied to dollar and cents. Many have tried and here are some interesting results:

  • Last summer, Syncapse found the value of a Facebook fan to be approximately $136.38.
  • Earlier, Mashable calculated that a Facebook fan was worth approximately $3.60.

Although all these numbers, formulas and stats are interesting, I don’t think that most local businesses can benefit from these facts. In fact, obsessing over these numbers could really distract from your marketing strategy. To me, this is like focusing on SEO ranking reports without looking at other factors, such as search volume.

Like many other forms of online advertising, Facebook marketing can’t just be analyzed through one factor because one of the most important ones is pretty intangible and that is potential.

That’s why I found this recent study by Hitwise to be so interesting. According to the study focusing on retailers, 1 Facebook fan means about 20 additional visits to your website over the course of one year. I find this to be useful because it comes from another angle on website traffic and doesn’t focus so much on the  $$$. This study also puts customer loyalty into perspective and that is also another important factor that you can improve by using social media.

Do you think these numbers and studies about the value of a Facebook Fan really hold true? In the end, it’s about how much your Facebook fans matter to you and what you want to do about it.

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This Week in Social Media: Twitpics, Hamburgers, & You

June 10th, 2011

Do You Know What Happens to Your Twitpics?

Last week, we discussed Twitter’s photo search. This week, I came across an interesting article about Twitpic’s terms of service. Many people may not know or care all together. Apparently, when you use this service to upload and share your photos, Twitpic has permission (or rather, given itself permission) to pass your photos off to third parties. Many people speculate that Twitpic has added this to its terms in an attempt to make money from photos tweeted by celebrities or photos tweeted of celebrities. Or maybe even breaking news stories? Although it’s slogan is, “Share photos on Twitter”… it should be more like, “Share photos with Twitter”! In other words: before you Twitpic, think carefully!

Everyone Loves Burger Week

No holidays to promote your business? Make one up! This wOinkster burger weekeek is official Burger Week at a local Eagle Rock hotspot. The Oinkster, has made quite a name for itself by taking on signature classics of other famous hamburger joints – such as the Big Mac and Umami Burger. With CBS, LA Weekly, LAist and more picking up on this story, The Oinkster has reached above and beyond in the world of local news and social media. If you check out Twitter search results, there are non-stop tweets as eager fans await another tasty burger of the day.

This is a great promotional campaign because it can be translated well into so many different mediums. Although word spreads quickly through social media, this will also spark word of mouth recommendations. And when it’s over, the buzz still won’t stop. I look forward to people posting blog posts, Yelp reviews and Flickr pictures based on this magical burger experience. Remember, these will all help your business SEO-wise in the long run!

On Display at Your Very Own Museum

Speaking of magic, have you seen Intel’s creative Museum of Me? It has been a top social media news story this week and for good reason. Whether it’s intrigue or just plain fun, social media users love to feel like they are part of something more. Intel’s campaign does a fantastic job of showcasing users’ connections to their social network in a simple way. (Oh yeah, and they also promise not to store your Facebook information). This ad campaign is successful because it reminds users WHY they want to use your product in the first place.

Do you have any favorite social media stories of the week?

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