I am always intrigued by the choices a business will make when it comes to Facebook marketing. One practice that I have long recommended is for a company to simply ask people to “like” their page. In many cases this simple “call to action” is enough to drastically improve the quota of fans. Yet with the recent realization that Google is placing a great deal of emphasis on Facebook “likes” and “shares” in their site ratings, many are looking for additional ways to beef up their Facebook fan base.
What I am seeing more and more of is the use of incentives for Facebook “likes”. This practice has become popular for many Brands wherein they provide a coupon discount of some value exclusive to their Facebook page. While others take this step a bit farther and instead of providing just a coupon of a singular value, they include a notice of their “likes” goal (often using some form of graphical representation). This “goal” pyramid or chart shows the value of the coupon/promotions increase as certain goals are met, and what the coupon/promotion’s final value will be when the goal is reached.
The Healthy Choice Facebook page is a good example of this “goals approach”. They provided a “progressive coupon” offer where users who “liked” the brand received a coupon initially worth 75 cents off their next Healthy Choice purchase, with the possibility of a “buy one, get one free” coupon offer if enough fans were achieved by a given date. Maybe even more clever, the coupon’s value grew as more consumers joined the page.
Jack in the Box has been following a similar strategy. The fast-food restaurant is running a promotion on Facebook called “Be My Rich Fan.” In this promotion Jack in the Box is depositing a nickel into a jar for each new Facebook Fan. At the conclusion of the promotion one winner will get the amount collected in the jar.
The following examples illustrate some of the approaches my clients and others have used with success.
The image at right is a local promotion by “Fat’s” restaurant in Sacramento; their “Help Us Get Likes” campaign is a good example of how the possibility of winning a gift card may work as a strong motivator for many, … my sister brought this to my attention so clearly some find it of value. The only potential downside here is that it doesn’t appear to be open to those who have already liked their page, which is in violation of Facebook’s policies (more on this at the bottom of the page).
Ok, so closer to home …
One of my clients, Kauai Campers, has encouraged their visitors to post their Kauai trip photos and share their experience with Kauai on their Facebook pages. Since they implemented this practice the number of Facebook “likes” has been constant.
Another client, Tri City Technologies, is offering a free Starbucks coffee for each new “Fan”, and I was told by the owner that their Facebook page “likes” are definitely improving.
And another client, ACS Roofing, provided a contest during May’s “Bike Month” for $40 gift certificates to local bike shops. In this case they didn’t request that someone like them as a “fan” yet a notice was added about “taking a moment to like us on Facebook”.
As people become more savvy with Facebook promotions we will find ever more clever ways of encouraging new Fans, as well as continued Fan interest. Some of the practices that have become common are:
- Offer Facebook only discounts and deals
- Showcase New products or Facebook-only products
- Provide “behind the scenes” photos and information. People want to be in the know first, so why not provide your Fans exclusive access.
Of course where possible provide “free” content. “Free” has always been popular online, and is one of the most searched words on the internet. Some Facebook pages provide free music, articles, games, and expert advice.
* Note: several of my clients actively update their facebook pages, and do a great job of promoting their business on FB by image inclusions, and regular updates. In every case those that put effort into their FB page, and engaged their Fan base got more “likes” than those who generally ignored their page.
In case you’re wondering what’s Facebook’s Policy on Rewarding Fans for liking a page …
In Facebook’s own words: We allow for specific rewarding around the Like button, provided the incentive is open to all new and existing users who Like your Page. Some common rewards for all users who Like your Page include the following:
- Coupons/Rebates
- Exclusive Content
- Eligibility to Enter a Promotion
- Donating to a Charity Based on Number of Page Likes
Ok, so if you want to create a coupon for Facebook “likes” it is a good idea to “pin it to the top” of the Facebook Wall, and then add some form of expiration date. The inclusion of a barcode is often done as well, which makes sense for companies with a barcode reader. What many people are doing now is to use an i-frame app that allows for “fan only” content. In this case only the “fan” will be able to see the promotion, which of course would encourage a visitor to be a fan assuming they felt there was enough inherent value in doing so. Another possibility would be to provide a link to a contact form wherein one could enter to win or receive the promotion or coupon yet would need to validate their ‘Fan” status.
As for us, yes, we recently started a “fan only” section in our website. We created a promotional graphic, pinned it to the top of our Wall, and then added a new i-frame app. Here we created the public section, and the private “fan only” section with the freebies and discounts noted, and we added an expiration to the services offered.
If you would like to learn more about the graphic sizing for Facebook inclusion, how to create and add a custom tab button for this, how to pin a post to the top, and the App we used to bring it all together just like us on Facebook and we’ll gladly email you the specifics. Of course if you’ve already liked us then of course, just ask!
