Don't Shake the Hook

I have the great fortune and honor of working with a wide range of businesses and organizations. This privilege provides me with direct access to the great and not so great uses for social media and Web 2.0.  This posting is going to focus on engaging your audience and not wasting the social capital you have cultivated.

What caused me to think about this as subject matter?  A non-profit I volunteer with has a Facebook page. They created a secondary page for an event. They are now promoting the secondary page to the audience of the primary page with posts like:

Like our page XXX to stay up to date on RxxxTxxHxxxxx.  (RTH is a one-time event).

What??? Why would they do this?  I asked... and received no real answer.  Why would someone that is already following them be asked to follow a separate page competing for space on their newsfeed? Why would the pull people from their main page to a one-time event page?

It seems they have many people, volunteers and paid employees that have admin access.  This creates issues such as posts competing for audience attention, posts that lack consistency and overall planning and posts that simple are not worth posting because they do not follow any best practices or lack relevant information.

Wow.... No wonder their overall page and individual posts appears to engage very little of their audience.

Think about yourself for a moment. You find a product or service you like. You check them out online. Might be a blog, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest page, or maybe Google+.  Doesn't so much matter. What does matter is your found something that you identify with and "like", "follow" or "add". Whatever the correct action is for the particular page.  You start receiving content and engage with the brand.  The odds of you buying that product or service in the future is now sky-high. (much has been written on buying habits of fans so I won't go into that here.)


What if that brand, product or service suddenly changed their messaging, frequency or quite simply started putting out posts that didn't interest / engage you? Would your impression change?  Would it change for the better or worse?  Overall your feeling for the brand would change in a negative way and with it possibly any future purchasing decisions might not "automatically" be for that brand.

• Stay consistent without becoming stale
• Don't confusing your fan
• Be original
• Don't post long rambling posts or posts of irrelevant subject matter
• and don't post with several distinctly different "voices"

If you find yourself turning off your fans you run the risk of losing them as customers. Chances are your competitors are more than happy to fill the void both in terms of social content which ultimately could turn into sales revenue and subsequent brand loyalty.

A Promotion Worth Repeating

Just finished up with an interesting promotion for a client using Foursquare check-ins and a baseball ticket giveaway. Here is the concept, goal and results.

Background:

Basically, the client continually offers a Foursquare check-in. They give away a free margarita for every check in, are very happy with the results, and see the number of check-ins grow each month. They receive just about 5x’s more check-ins monthly than their competitors and promote check-ins online and in-house.

Concept:

The owner received four free baseball tickets from a supplier and wanted to use them to promote the business. I suggested having a contest using Foursquare, picking a date and rewarding the Mayor of Foursquare on that date with a pair of the tickets.



Goal:

Increase check-ins on Foursquare by adding a promotional element / contest. The Foursquare Mayor on a selected date would be given two baseball tickets as a thank you / reward.

Timeframe:

Promote contest for two weeks prior to promotion deadline.

Results:

Foursquare check-ins increased 40% during the two week promotion period. Additionally, check-ins maintained an 11% ongoing lift when compared to before the contest.

Additional brand impressions: 2700

Cost per each additional viral impression under $0.03 each

Assumptions, each customer that checked in has a modest viral reach of 130 friends.

Estimated cost per pair of tickets $100

Needless to say this client is very excited about these results and looks forward to additional promotions in the future.

Facebook Announces an App Center

In what signals another step forward for the Facebook mobile platform, Facebook today announced that for the over 900 million people that use Facebook, the App Center will become the new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something, Pinterest, Spotify, Battle Pirates, Viddy, and Bubble Witch Saga.

App Center

A new place for people to find social apps. The App Center gives developers an additional way to grow their apps and creates opportunities for more types of apps to be successful

In the coming weeks, people will be able to access the App Center on the web and in the iOS and Android Facebook apps. All canvas, mobile and web apps that follow the guidelines can be listed. All developers should start preparing today to make sure their app is included for the launch.

Drive Mobile Apps

The App Center is designed to grow mobile apps that use Facebook – whether they’re on iOS, Android or the mobile web. From the mobile App Center, users can browse apps that are compatible with their device, and if a mobile app requires installation, they will be sent to download the app from the App Store or Google Play.
To grow your mobile app through the App Center, your app needs to use Facebook Login.

Quality Ratings

Based upon feedback ratings from users, apps will have a rating applied.  Higher quality apps will receive prominent display while those receiving poor rating or don't meet quality guidelines will not be displayed.

Developers

You can create an app detail page in the App Center section of the Developer App. There you can upload images, provide additional details, and configure the permissions your app requires. Learn more about setting up your app.

Before creating your app detail page, read the guidelines to ensure your page does not get removed. App detail pages that are eligible for the App Center will be reviewed prior to being listed and priority will be given to those apps that submit before May 18.

Regards,

James Meyer

Net Profits Media, LLC
Port Washington, WI 53074
e: netprofitsmedia@gmail.com
p: 414-687-7018
Twitter: @NetProfitsMedia
http://netprofitsmedia.blogspot.com/ 

Foursquare Launches $10 Instant Verifications

This Just Announced

Foursquare has just introduced a new instant verification
for merchants.  In just 90 seconds the merchant will be able to use all of Foursquare's tools:

• A discount with purchase
• Something for free
• Special treatment offers
• Reward your best customers with check in specials
• Mayor special offers
• and more

Foursquare says that as of today, over 750,000 business have signed up to reach the company’s 20 million users via the free merchant tools provided. The new verification feature is U.S.-only for now.

To get started go to Foursquare

https://foursquare.com/

Click on Business Attract and Retain Customers or just click the button right here.

To your success!

More ideas including how to Launch Facebook Offers, How to Super Charge your Facebook site and engage customers and more is at http://netprofitsmedia.blogspot.com/

Regards,

James Meyer

Net Profits Media, LLC
Port Washington, WI 53074
e: netprofitsmedia@gmail.com
p: 414-687-7018
Twitter: @NetProfitsMedia
http://netprofitsmedia.blogspot.com/

How To and Tools to Engage Facebook Fans

Tools for Growth

Stand Out on Facebook

In Facebook Brand Building we detailed what gets the most impressions on Facebook, and impressions drive results. Get more results from your Facebook fan page. What kind of results?

Start with more engagement which leads to more growth. Facebook sites can be so much more than just a few boring, do nothing tabs and posts. Without any technical mumbo-jumbo you can create an engaging experience to delight your customers, generate Likes and create lifelong fans.

Today we are going to show you how to super charge your
Facebook Page and engage your Fans.

Custom Pages / Tabs

“Like Us” incentives (Welcome Page).  Create a Like Us / Welcome Page  In the Value of a Fan we learned how valuable Likes are. A Like Us / Welcome page is great for offering an incentive for well, Liking. You may also use your custom Like Us / Welcome page as a Landing Page. Landing Pages, in conjunction with Facebook Ads generate a huge amount of new fans when running a “Like Us” promotion. I’ll cover “Like Us” promotions in a later post.

Instant Coupons Page.  Nothing gets feet in the door better than a coupon.  Create and post online coupons right on Facebook.  Use tracking codes, expiration dates, all the good stuff.

Newsletter Sign Up Form (Page). Integrate with another awesome free email tool that I will cover in a later post.  You do publish a Newsletter don't you?

Events Page. Not the wimpy do nothing version Facebook gives you.  This one is actually great. Promote events with video, a countdown calendar, text, a Friend Invite tool and more!




Contests Page.  With no limits what could you do with a Contest Page?

Videos (Watch Tab/Page) What is better to show off your business, location, venue, product or service than video.  With smart phones that outpu HD video you can for practically nothing.  How cool is that?

Mobile Text Sign Up Page. Offer your Facebook fans a way to sign up for mobile coupons. I recommend to clients to start Mobile Text Marketing this way to create a database of prospects BEFORE they even spend a penny on a mobile text service. This really allows them to maximize their Text Marketing ROI.

Menu Page - that's a no-brainer

Daily Specials Page - again it's so simple. Give your fans a reason to check your page daily.

Reviews - these are your fans not some random folks off the street stopping in for the first time.  Your fans are your fans because they love what you do.  Encourage them to give reviews - then use the reviews to get new customers.

Help Wanted - Making a Help Wanted page takes the same time as calling an ad into the local paper but you don't have to pay to run the ad.  It's ultimately cheaper and probably more effective than the local paper.

These are just a few quick examples of what you can do. I’m sure you can come up with your own list of awesome ideas of how you could promote your business better on Facebook.

So, Go Beyond Plain

The plain and boring you see to the below is what you get and what you probably have on your page right now.  Go way beyond the standard Photos, Likes and Map that Facebook gave you to start out with. It’s easy to customize and arrange.

Standard, plain and boring tabs

In fact, you may have noticed in an earlier image, I spell out the word WIN on my Net Profits Media Facebook page with the row of 4 visible tabs (and 11 more using the drop down arrow) from the home page tabs. Facebook does not allow the Photos image and tab to be moved. These images can be anything you want them to be. You just need an easy to use tool to create the pages.

Engaging Tabs on a Facebook Site

These are all 15 tabs (pages) at Net Profits Media's Facebook site.  So you can see, you can really do whatever you want to connect with your fans and get them in your door or on your e-commerce site.

 
Here is the FREE Tool to Transform Your Facebook Site

Customize your site and your customers will thank you. Short Stack is an awesome, FREE tool that allows the DIY, non-techy person a simple and quick way to really maximize and leverage the fan experience on Facebook. Short Stack’s free plan is for pages up to 2,000 Likes.

Short Stack has awesome help pages, help videos, and even a Short Stack University for those that really want to go head first and create more elaborate pages so go ahead and check it out.

Want More Ideas? Video Ideas

Video examples of Facebook sites created for clients. I also include testimony from clients on just how this has helped their business. Check it out at http://netprofitsmedia.blogspot.com/p/custom-facebook-page-examples.html

How to Make Custom Tabs Video 

Even More Free Tools and Ideas
See my blog; click FREE Business Building Tools for 25 more free tools that you can use right now.

To your success!

James Meyer

Net Profits Media, LLC
Port Washington, WI 53074
e: netprofitsmedia@gmail.com
p: 414-687-7018
Twitter: @NetProfitsMedia
http://netprofitsmedia.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/NetProfitsMedia

Launch Facebook Offers in Minutes

One of the most powerful tools you can use to promote your business is Facebook Offers.  That's the good news.  The even better news is that it takes just minutes to create an offer.  Here we will go step by step from idea to redemption.  I will make some simple assumptions as skip a few steps such as "Log into your Facebook account."

Step by Step

1.  On your page, at the top of your timeline on the left hand side you will see an image listing:  Status, Photo/Video, Offer, Event +

2.  Click Offer, Event +

3.  A dialog box will open.  Click Offer.  (This area also has other tools such as Event, Milestone, Question aka Polls).



4.  A new dialog box will open and here's where we start to get down to business.

Make the Offer

Upload an Image - the image should be clean and uncluttered.  A simple close up of the item is all that's needed.

Write a Headline - keep it simple and strong.  This is the call to action and what will get people in your door.

Limit the Number of Offers People Can Claim - two thoughts here; create a large number.  This leads people to believe you need a large amount to meet demand or use a small number to create scarcity and urgency.  You decide.

Set an Expiration Date for your offer - simple enough

Add your Terms and Conditions - 1 per person, 1 per day, 1 per table, cannot be combined with other offers.  Whatever is appropriate for your situation.

Example Offer

4a.  Here is one I made for a clients.  It contains a simple image, a strong headline.  I like to start my headline with FREE when I can.  I also like my headlines to be as simple as possible for clarity.  I listed the number of free items, when the offer expires and the term.

At this stage if everything looks OK click the preview button.

Post the Offer


Your offer is now ready to post.  Click the Post button.

The offer gets posted to your timeline for your fans to see.

Fans Redeem the Offer

When your fans click on "Get Offer" and redeem your fantastic offer they will receive a message and an email.  They then have the option to print the email or take their smart phone into your venue and show the staff the redemption message.

Where to Promote

Where should you promote your offer?

Facebook

Email Newsletter

At the venue; that being the store, restaurant wherever the business operates.

 

Promotion Ideas and Creating Likes

Facebook and Foursquare Check In Flyer Offer Example

In an earlier post, Facebook Brand Building, we learned that combination text and image posts get more attention and traction.  So coincidence that the Facebook template to create an offer is a combination text and image?  Nope.

Taking that one step further, create some POP, flyer's, ads, whatever you want to call it for your store front windows, restaurant tables, bathroom walls, wherever you can put up a compelling reason for customers to visit your Facebook page.

Value of a Like

It may sound strange to offer a special once the customer is in the store but just because they are in the store doesn't necessarily mean they Like you on Facebook.  On the flyer add a message to "Like Us on Facebook" and you may get a new fan.  We detail that the value of a fan is $137 in the post "Value of a Fan".  If you haven't seen that post you might take a look.  Check back shortly.  I am working on a new article that details exactly how to turn fan building opportunities into growth for your business.


Net Profits Media, LLC
Port Washington, WI 53074
e: netprofitsmedia@gmail.com
p: 414-687-7018
Twitter: @NetProfitsMedia
http://netprofitsmedia.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/NetProfitsMedia

Post Story Results

It appears Facebook is giving the new Offers priority and pushing direct to fans News Feeds.  The margarita offer I created in the example received 4x's more "Reach" than any other post I have done for that client.  The "Engaged" and "Talking About This" figures are 2x's greater.  Wow!