Entries Tagged 'Facebook Marketing' ↓

Despite all the hubbub surrounding Beacon, including several articles on this site, I did not until today really get what people were talking about. I mean, okay, I thought, if you buy something through Facebook then they’re going to notify your friends, and that sucks, but come on. Quit shopping through Facebook and you’re fine.

In fact — and I realize I’m the last one on the train and you all understood this already — you don’t actually have to go through Facebook to get Beacon’d. I, for example, just bought a Christmas present through Shop.com, and got the little pop-up message a few moments later telling me it was about to notify everyone on my Facebook profile about my purchase.

Luckily, I’ve read the articles and knew to click on “no thanks” immediately. Still, it was pretty darn irritating. Not to mention creepy to be nowhere near Facebook and suddenly have something threatening to interact with my Facebook profile.

Anyway, I know this is much talked-of, but I thought there might be a few clueless folk out there like I was who didn’t really understand this could happen on a non-Facebook site. Consider yourselves warned.

Pictures speak larger than words. Google’s Brad Fitzpatrick perhaps has realized that quickly. He dressed up as Facebook for Halloween.

Via Valleywag

MarketingSherpa has come up with a fantastic tutorial on tips and tricks for marketing on Facebook. It is meant for individuals as well as organizations. Here’s a summary of the great post:

1.) Create a polished profile
A well crafted and a clear profile always helps. Be specific and to the point about who you’re and what you want like Sherpa mentions I’m looking for a job in PR in NY and currently I’m working in this industry.

2.) Join Network
Mention your area in your profile and you’d automatically be a part of that network. For e.g. if you’re a startup owner in the Bay Area and are on the look-out for VCs such for any funding/investor groups in Silicon Valley and start conversations with group members.

3.) Join Groups
To connect with members in a particular area and to build your own credibility join groups/communities and communicate your thoughts in the groups. Connect with local/global groups. Limit is upto 200.

4.) Post relevant content
Give people links which describe you, your work. For e.g. your blog, your website (if any), media attention, domain blog, fav. domain books etc.

5.) Create your own group
Position yourself as a manager/admin and a leader per se with control over your content and reach out to your members by creating an enticing group with a topic that interests you.

6.) Interact with others
Socializing is the key to Facebook. There are several ways to socialize:
- Buy virtual gifts for other members
- Play games with them
- Give them a virtual “poke” to get their attention
- Start a new topic in the “discussion board”
- Comment on their profiles if they’re in a group
- Post something to The Wall

7.) Extend relationships outside of Facebook
Take conversations offline. Talk to people outside facebook maintain relationships with them.

8.) Aim for long-term relationships
Consistency and patience is the key for Facebook marketing.

9.) Brand-Building with Facebook applications
Project the image of your brand by adding third party applications/creating third party applications for Facebook.

10.) Buy an ad
Facebook Flyers Basic allows marketers to buy and create banner-like advertising on networks.

11.) Select your advertising targets
As a strategic marketer choose your target audience on the basis of:

- Keywords in their profiles
- Declared political views
- Relationship status
- Education status

(Via MarketingSherpa)

Developer Are Great At Making Cool Apps, But Horrible At Monetizing Them

The love-hate relationship between developers and marketers has always amazed me. Developers can make the product or service. Marketers can market and sell the product or service. It makes sense that they would get along and look to partner. For the most part, however, they do not.

When you look at the sheer number of Facebook applications that are now live and then compare that with the number that are making money, one has to ask themselves why are Facebook developers looking to part with savvy marketer who know how to monetize their creations? John Chow points out that at a recent Facebook garage event of the nine Facebook applications that were presented, only one was making money. The one that was making money, was only making $5 per day.

Not every application is built with making money in mind, but it is unfortunate that developers do not value their time and effort more. As a marketer (who has little programming ability), I would probably give an eyeball to be able to develop applications. Everyday I see applications come out that have so much money making potential that it sometimes drives me crazy.

As I look out at the Facebook application economy, I truly believe that developers who do not know how to monetize their applications or do not partner with a savvy marketer to generate revenues, will eventually end up selling their work for pennies on the dollar to some savvy marketer, or worse yet, see their application duplicated by someone else who know how to better market and monetize an application.

Influencers the Key to Facebook Application Growth

I had an interesting conversation with a friend where we were discussing the viral growth of Facebook applications and how developers of applications can positively influence the growth in users of their application. One of the things that came up, which I thought was brilliant, and could be rather easy to accomplish, was the role of getting the right influencers on Facebook to add your application to their profile. This idea is similar to Seth Godin’s “Sneezer” idea. Get someone popular to use your application. They try it out. They love it. They tell everyone they know. Your application spreads.

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Facebook is Not Just for Branding, it is For Growing Business

“According to [Facebook Senior Platform Manager Dave Morin], too many companies still see applications as marketing rather than as new business. . . . [C]ompanies should be trying to make the application into a self-sustaining business that generates revenue through the service it provides on Facebook.”

Dave you have to give these businesses a little more time to understand Facebook…most companies are use to spending on marketing, not making money from it.

From Marketing Pilgrim.

Facebook Can Be a Business Driver

As a marketer I am constantly looking to Facebook as a channel to market products and services. Sure it is great for connecting with old friends and colleagues, managing contacts, and if careful, to be used as a way to develop new relationships with individuals that you never before had access to, but outside of this, how can Facebook be used to grow your business through an increase in visibility, consumer interaction, and of course revenues?

Below you will find ten ways you can market your product and service on Facebook to accomplish all three of those goals. I am sure there are more, so if you think of one, add it to the comments, and I will update this list in a future post.

Ten Ways Company’s Can Market Their Products and Services on Facebook

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