Checking Out Some of the Best Fan Pages
As you can imagine, Facebook has millions of Fan pages. Most of them are not exemplary. However, some of them have a great mix of interaction and broadcasting, and personality and service.
The following sections show you a few Fan pages worth Liking on Facebook.
Big Brands
When it comes to Facebook marketing, don’t envy the biggest brands. The bar is much higher for Burger King or Citibank to create a cool, interactive experience than it is for your local burger joint or small-town bank. And if these big-brand companies screw up on the social media front, their failures get a lot of attention from the media, competitors, and, most importantly, potential and current customers.
There are several reasons why it can be more difficult for big brands to make their mark on Facebook:
• They often have multi-million-dollar budgets, so the pressure to create something spectacular is higher.
• They are less likely to do something interesting or daring because of financial risk, corporate conservatism, or other issues.
• If they screw up on the social media front, their failures are noticed more by media, competitors, and potential and current customers.
The soda company Coca-Cola represents itself very well on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cocacola. However, the company presents some real challenges for harnessing Facebook’s social networking powers. For one thing, there’s the product problem: no one is going to order a bottle of Coke online, so the company’s Facebook strategy can’t be to just slap a “Buy Now” button on its page and call it a day. And Coke is almost too well known of a brand for anyone to bother to Like its Coca-Cola Fan page. The average person knows what Coke’s famous recipe tastes like, most Americans grew up watching Coke commercials, and the logo is as familiar as Mickey Mouse’s ears and McDonald’s golden arches.
The company made the following good social-marketing decisions when they created their Facebook page:
• They focus on the brand, not the drink.
• They showcase fan-created media, honoring their customers and tapping into original, homemade content.
• They provide links to Twitter, YouTube, and the photo service Flickr. Potential customers can use whatever social media service they feel most comfortable with.
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In August 2008, the web company Dusty and Michael noticed that Coca-Cola didn’t have a Facebook presence. The two guys from Los Angeles decided to create a Facebook Fan page for their favorite soda.
Coca-Cola noticed, liked what it saw, and asked the guys if they would mind turning the page into the official Coca-Cola Fan page. Now working for Coke, Dusty and Michael’s original page is the foundation of what is online today. The duo regularly posts updates and has had an ongoing viral video series showcasing their adventures on the road with Coke.
The page is less about pushing soda and more about creating a community of people who happen to really like drinking Coke. The soft drink conglomerate ends up coming off hipper than most companies a fraction of its size.
Medium-sized businesses may have the toughest time making an impression. Here are some reasons why:
• They lack the resources of a big brand.
• They have less brand recognition compared to bigger brands, which means they may have to work harder to get a Facebook Like than other companies.
• They don’t have the notoriety or newness of a scrappy startup.
• They may be stuck in transition between being a small company and a large brand, giving it the strength of neither and the weaknesses of both.
The stationary manufacturer Livescribe, a mid-size company, has a particularly compelling Fan page (see Figure 7.7). Livescribe sells pens that enable you to record your conversation while simultaneously writing down notes.
Figure 7.7: The Livescribe Fan page.
The smartly designed Livescribe Fan page provides visitors with plenty of information about the company and its products. Along the left side of the page are direct links for accessing the company’s newest information, connecting via other platforms like Twitter, and—of course—buying the pen and its accessories.
The main area features videos that show the pen in action—a crucial step for an unusual product like Livescribe. In that sense, both Livescribe and the big brand Coca-Cola have the same issue: How do you show someone something that you have to experience? You can’t try a Livescribe pen online, just like you can’t taste a Coke through Facebook. Multimedia, like videos in the case of Livescribe, can truly save the day. Imagine how difficult describing a product like Livescribe would be without internet platforms like Facebook!
Fans can also engage in community discussions and are encouraged to share content and details that facilitate bonding between users. The more Livescribe users feel like a community, the more likely they will come back to the page to socialize, not to mention buy more products.
Small Businesses
Believe it or not, small businesses harness Facebook for the biggest advantages.
• Because of their size, they’re more likely to value each and every customer, and that level of engagement means more loyal visitors—which translates into more Likes.
• They are also unlikely to fall under as much scrutiny as larger companies, so they have more room to experiment and find the right social media rhythm.
• They often are more determined to push the boundaries of what’s possible simply because, unlike larger companies, no one is telling them “No, we can’t do that” or “No, because we’ve never done that before.”
• With the low barrier to entry, Facebook evens the playing field between small companies and their larger counterparts.
The San Francisco–based ice cream shop Bi-Rite Creamery has a Facebook page worth visiting (see Figure 7.8). At first glance, it looks almost exactly like a standard Facebook personal page. Except for its prominent logo, it doesn’t feature any original graphics or heavy visuals.
Take a good look, though. Notice the spread of pictures across the top. From the visuals, all the pictures are of the tasty ice cream and regular-looking folks enjoying it. The simple layout and warm pics contribute to the local, small-business feel.
Also, note the conversation taking place with the Bi-Rite Creamery audience. On Father’s Day week, Bi-Rite asks, “What’s the best gift you’ve ever given your dad? (edible or not!)” Fans responded with funny, interesting answers. Bi-Rite Creamery’s Fan page is engaging because of its simplicity and seemingly open line to the owners.
Figure 7.8: The Bi-Rite Creamery Facebook Fan page. (Courtesy of Bi-Rite Creamery)
What All Successful Brands Have in Common
Coca-Cola, Livescribe, and Bi-Rite Creamery show how big, medium, and small companies can take advantage of Facebook. However, as you may notice, all three of the companies follow certain common strategies:
• They interact rather than broadcast.
• Their pages reflect their customers’ values and interests.
• They focus on the brand, not the product.
• They create a community—a reason for the visitor to come back—and assume that the sales will naturally come later.
• They are selling products that can’t even be tried online, such as ice cream, digital pens, and soft drinks.
The strengths and challenges of a small, medium, or large business using Facebook are unique, but the basic rules apply to virtually any company. There’s no excuse for you not to take advantage of Facebook’s Fan pages.
The Least You Need to Know
• Facebook Fan pages were originally made for celebrities, but now businesses make the most use of Fan pages.
• When someone Likes your Fan page, he or she gets a notice every time you update it.
• WIIFM, or “What’s In It For Me?”, is a marketing approach in which you make sure your potential customers know there is a benefit involved for individuals who become your customers.
• Small businesses have advantages over big ones when it comes to using Facebook as a marketing tool.