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For my mother, who showed me that you can achieve your dreams if you try hard enough. I love you, Mom, and youll be happy to know Ive finally realized the value of all those words-of-the-day. Dan For my mom, who recognized my great love of books at a young age and was always ready to listen to my next story. I love you, Mom. (Even though you still havent figured out how to upload a Facebook photo.) Alison
Contents
1. Introduction to Social Networking
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11 13 15 17 31 33
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5. Facebook Events
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CreateInherentlySocialApplications ImproveExistingSocialBehaviors LearnfromSuccess Clarity,Simplicity,andSpeed toEngagement IntegratewithViralFacebookFeatures Development ArtandCopy LaunchingandPromoting YourApplication Summary
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LeastSharedWords MetaMentions MostSharedWords Digits LinguisticContent Video PartsofSpeech Readability SocialPlug-ins Summary
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Acknowledgments Index
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Figure 1-1. The number of active users on Facebook has grown tremendously over the past six years.
ChApTeR 1
Figure 1-2. The number of daily newspapers published in the US is down, as are their circulation numbers.
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Figure 1-3. Sprinkles Cupcakes is a good example of a small business leveraging Facebook to improve its marketing.
ChApTeR 2
Figure 2-1. You can view a variety of information on an active Facebook users Profile.
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Figure 2-2. The beginnings of a basic Facebook Profile. You will need one in order to manage a Facebook Page for marketing purposes.
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Figure 2-3. A basic Facebook profile has three tabs: Wall, Info, and Photos. More active users may add other custom tabs or applications.
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Wall
TheWalltabisthestandardlandingPageforyourFacebookProfile.Thisiswherepeoplecanpost publicmessagestoyouorcommentonposts(muchlikeablog).Youcanupdateyourstatusfromthis tabandviewolderstatusupdates.AnyapplicationsyouhaveauthorizedtoposttoyourWallwillalso appearhere,suchasanRSSfeedortweetsfromTwitter.
Info
TheInfotabiswhereallofyourpersonalinformationlikes,interests,workplace,hometown,email address,andsoonisdisplayed.UnliketheWall,thereisnotmuchopportunityforinteractionbetween usershere.WhilethistabisarguablythemostbeneficialandrichininformationforFacebookmarketers, itisprobablytheleastinterestingtotheaverageuser.
photos
ThePhotostabhaslongbeenaFacebookstaple.Thistabhouseseveryphotoyouhaveuploadedor beentaggedin.EachtagcreatesalinkbacktothatusersProfile.Notethatonlypeople,andtherefore Profiles,canbetaggedinaphoto,notbrandsorPages.
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Figure 2-4. The basic information section of a Facebook Profile is full of personal details about the user.
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Basic Information
Ausermustprovideaname,birthdate,andemailaddresstosignupforthesite;almosteveryother pieceofinformationisoptionalorcanbehidden.Profilebasicsincludetheinformationthatrequiresvery littlethoughttofillout:gender,birthdate,hometown,andthelike.Althoughcompulsory,thebirthday andgenderfieldsmaybehiddenfrompublicviewing.
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Figure 2-5. The Work and Education section can be used to create networks and provide clues about a users potential interests.
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Figure 2-6. Likes and interests are now displayed as links to related Facebook Pages, connecting personal Profiles to brands.
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Figure 2-7. Most users are open with all their information except contact info. Dont use Facebook as a way to gain email addresses; keep your marketing on Facebook, where you know your target audience is.
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Contact Information
Last,andprobablyleastformostmarketers,isthecontactinformationsection(Figure2-7).Someusers mayfindthissectionhelpfulforsearchingandconnectingwitholdfriendsortakingFacebookcommunicationstoamoreprivatevenue,butasamarketeronFacebook,youshouldkeepyourcommunications onthesite.Still,itsusefultoknowhowtheentireProfilesectionworks,andwhatyoucanaddtoyours dependingonhowaccessibleyouwanttobetoyouraudience. Firstupisyouremailaddress,whichisrequiredtoregisterforthesite.UserscanalsoaddanIMscreen name,mobileandland-linephonenumbers,aphysicalmailingaddress,andadormresidence,aswell aslinkstoadditionalpersonalwebsitesthatfriendsmightwanttovisitsuchasablog,Twitteraccount, orLinkedInProfile.Withtheexceptionofyouremailaddress,nofieldisrequired.Theamountofinformationvisibletothepublicdiffersfrompersontoperson,butagain,generallyspeaking,youngerusers seemhappytoshareIMnamesandphonenumbers,whileoldermembersdonot. Theprivacycontrolsforthissectionaremorefinelytunedthanmost.Userscancontrolwhoseeseach individualpieceofinformation;settingsrangefromEveryone(themostpublicoption)toCustomsettingsthatallowuserstospecifyonlyafewfriendsormembersofacertainFriendList.Forexample,you coulddecidethateveryonecanviewyouremailaddress,butonlycollegeandworkfriendscanseeyour physicaladdress,andjustaselectfewworkfriendshaveaccesstoyourIMscreenname.Theseprivacy adjustmentsmakeitpossibletofilloutyourProfilecompletelyandthentailoritsappearancetoindividualsorgroupsoffriends.
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Figure 2-8. Privacy settings are used to show more information to close friends and less to the Internet at large.
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privacy Settings
Alongwiththeabilitytoaddandshareallthisinformationonline,Facebookalsocreatedwaystokeep somesectionsofaProfilemoreprivatethanothers.Somepeopleputupbarriersthatreflectreallife, onlyacceptingfriendstheypersonallyknow.Theeasiestwaytosharewhatyouwantwithwhomyou want,however,istouseFacebooksbuilt-inprivacysettingsandfriendlists. Asdiscussedintheprevioussection,privacysettings(Figure2-8)allowyoutocontrolwhocanseeyour contactinformation.Theyalsoallowyoutocontrolwhocanseeyourpersonalinformation,including yourbirthday,favoritequotes,interests,educationandworkinfo,andrelationshipstatus.Youcanalso determinewhoisallowedtopostonyourwall,tagyouinphotosorvideos,orviewyourProfileinboth Facebookandpublicsearchresults.Photoalbumsettingsaredeterminedonacase-by-casebasis,so youcanmakesomealbumsavailabletoallfriends,andothersjustaselectgroupofpeople.Youcan alsocontrolwhatyousharewithoutsidewebsites,aswellaswhatyourfriendscanshareaboutyou. PrivacysettingsalsoallowyoutoseewhichapplicationsarerunningonyourProfile,adjustappsettings, andblockorremoveoldappsyounolongeruseorwant.Formarketers,themoreopenapersonkeeps hisprivacysettings,themoredatayoucancollectorusefortargeting.
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Figure 2-9. Segmenting friends into lists or groups helps users stay organized and adjust privacy settings more efficiently.
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Friend lists and groups Tomakeadjustingprivacysettingseasier,youcansegmentyourfriendsintohandygroupsorlists (Figure2-9)andfine-tuneyoursettingsinbulk.Forexample,youmightcreatealistforworkcolleagues andallowthemfullaccesstoyourpersonalinformation,butrestrictsomephotoalbums.Justkeepin mindthatafriendssettingsaredeterminedbythemostrestrictivelisttheybelongto.So,ifyouhavea closefriendwhomyoualsoworkwith,andyouwanthimtoviewthemostopensettingsforyourProfile, youwontwanttolumphiminwithotherworkcolleagues. Youcanalsocreateexceptionstosettingstokeeponlyafewpeople(aformerboyfriendorgirlfriend, perhaps)fromseeingcertainpartsofyourProfile.JustchooseCustomizefromthePrivacySettings menuandselecttheitemsyouwanttohidefromcertainfriends.Thentypethefriendsnameandclick SaveSettingstokeepthatpieceofinformationprivate.Or,ifyoureallydontwanttobebotheredby someoneortoletapersonfindyouatall,youcanaddhertoyourblocklist.Simplyscrolltothebottom ofherProfilesleftnavigationcolumnandclickReport/Block.
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Figure 2-10. Profile applications customize a Facebook Profiles appearance. Creating an application can be a great way to market your brand or company.
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profile Applications
Facebookoffersamyriadofapplications.Thesecanbeusefulformarketers,becausetheyprovidea naturallyviralvehicleforspreadingawarenessofyourbrand.SomeappsaredesignedbyFacebook andhaveamorepracticalutility,suchasPhotosorNotes.Othersaremoreaboutfun,likeCokeZeros FacialProfiledopplegangerapporZyngasFarmVille.AnyonecancreateaFacebookapp,whichmeans therearealotoffunandusefulapplicationsavailable;however,thisalsomeansthatthereareplentyof abandonedappsthatneverworkedquiteright. MostappsareperfectlysafetoaddtoyourProfileorPage.However,youshoulddoalittleresearch beforeaddingappsfromlesser-knowndevelopers.Checkoutstarratingsanduserdiscussionsinthe ApplicationDirectory(Figure2-10)tomakesurethedeveloperisstillmaintainingtheapplication.You canalsoseehowmanyactiveusersanapphas,aswellaswhatsneworpopularacrossthesite. Onceyouvefoundanapplicationyoulike,clicktoaddittoyourProfileorPage,dependingontheuse andtypeofapp.SomearestrictlyforProfileuse,suchasgames,whilemorepracticalapps,likethe customtabdeveloperStaticFBML,canbeusedforPagesaswell. AsFacebookphasesouttheBoxestabofProfilesandPages,applicationsappeareitherontheir owntab,liketheStaticFBMLcustomtab,orasafunctionofaProfile,likeTwittersstatusupdater. Facebookmaintainstightcontroloverhowandwhereitemsaredisplayed,andsomeappsarefurther restrictedbytheirdevelopersforoptimumviewing.
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Figure 2-11. A users Wall includes interactions with friends on the site (other Profiles), brands they like (Pages), posts to the Newsfeed (status updates), and applications usage.
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profile Interactions
TherearemanywaysthatausercaninteractwithyourbrandonFacebook,fromaPagetoacustombrandedApplicationorad.However,user-to-userinteractionisactuallyalittlemorelimited,despitethe categorizationofFacebookasasocialnetwork. Facebookfriendshipsaretwo-wayconnections;thatis,ausermustrequesttofriendanotheruserand waitforapprovalbeforetheycantalkorinteractinanymeaningfulway.Oncethatconnectionhasbeen established,userscanuseFacebookChataswellasFacebooksprivatemessagingsystem(which worksmuchlikeemail).However,thefavoritemeansofcommunicationforfrequentFacebookusersis Wall posting(Figure2-11). Facebookisasitefoundedonconnectionsbutisincreasinglymovingtowardmoreopenchannelsof communication.HeavyFacebookusersfeedintothischangebymakingmanychatscompletelypublic.Wall-to-WallpostingsoftenreadlikeemailorIMexchanges,andthecommentsforstatusupdates, linkposts,orphotouploadsoftenrunwellpastasimplenote.Inaddition,themorepeoplepostor comment,themoreotherpeoplejoinin;theywanttoseewhatandwhyeveryoneiscommentingona particularphotoorarticleandjoininthefun.
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Figure 2-12. Consider a snapshot of the average Facebook user. (Infographic by Muhammad Saleem for Mashable.com.)
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Summary
Asyoucantell,alotgoesintoaFacebookProfile.Whatinformationyoushowandhowmuchtimeyou spendupdatingandmaintainingitisuptoyouandwilllargelydependonyourgoalsforanduseofthe Profile.ButtheProfileiswhereitallbeginsandisamajorpartofeveryusersFacebookexperience,so itsvitalthatyouthoroughlyunderstandhowProfileswork,look,andrelatetooneanother. Nomatterwhatkindofbrand,product,orserviceyouaremarketing,youneedafirmunderstanding ofyourtarget.OnFacebook,thismeansgettingbacktobasicsandworkingfromthebeginning:the FacebookProfile. AccordingtoFacebook,therearecurrentlyover500millionactiveusersonthesite,atleasthalfof whomlogineveryday(Figure2-12).Thatmeans500millionProfilesthatyoucanusetogetdataabout yourtargetaudience.Infact,thisisFacebooksbiggestsellingpoint:thesiteactively(somesayaggressively)encouragesuserstofilltheirProfileswiththetypeofinformationmarketersarealwaystryingto findallforfree.
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ChApTeR 3
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Figure 3-1. Facebooks official Page about Facebook Pages provides helpful hints and tips for Page administrators.
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AsyoureadinChapter2,FacebookoutlinesstrictrulesaboutwhocanhaveaFacebookProfile.Inits earlyyears,Facebookwasaclosedsite,accessibleonlytocollegestudents;everyuserwasanindividualpersonandhadauniqueProfile.Whenthesiteopeneduptothepublic,brandswerequicktosee thepotentialforreachingpeopleinanewway.Atthattime,Facebookwasntanticipatingheavybrand participation;theFacebookAdsplatformwastheonlyrealnodtomarketingonthesite.Somarketers turnedtotheonlyoptionavailableatthetime:personalProfiles. Thisworkedforawhile,assmall,localbrandscouldflyundertheradar.Buttheupkeepofapersonal Profileforanonhumanentityisawkward;thequestionsareabitfarremovedfromanythingexcepta mascotorspokesperson.WhatwouldbetheNikeswooshsfavoritemovie? AsFacebookstartedtotakenoticeofbrandsmasqueradingaspeople,itcreatedaplaceonthesitefor them(Figure3-1),insteadofkickingthemoffforabusingtheTermsofService.Thesetermsstatethat: YouwillnotprovideanyfalsepersonalinformationonFacebookorcreateanaccountforanyone otherthanyourselfwithoutpermission. YouwillnotcreatemorethanonepersonalProfile. BeforethesiteintroducedPages,FacebooksTermsofServicealsospecifiedthatonlyrealpeople couldmaintainaProfile;technically,creatingaProfileforyourdogwasalsoagainsttherules.
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Figure 3-2. Notice the variety of brands, public figures, and interests in the top 10 Facebook Pages by fans. (Graphic by www.website-monitoring.com.)
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Figure 3-3. The Facebook Page Directory provides another look at some of the top Facebook Pages.
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Table 3-1. A simpler way to think about the many types and categories of Facebook Pages.
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Figure 3-4. This first step to creating a Facebook Page is found at http://www.facebook.com/advertising/?pages.
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Types of pages
FacebookseparatesPagesinto17categoriesandmanysubcategories,ofwhichthefourmost c ommonare: Brands Services People Stuff TheFacebookPagesetupprocess(Figure3-4)willguideyouthroughchoosingtherightoneforyour needs. ItsbestnottogettoohunguponthelabelyouchooseforthePage;fewpeoplewilleverseeitanyway.ItisdisplayednexttoyournameandthenumberofconnectionsonthesearchPage,butgenerally userswillalreadyknowwhatyoudoandaresimplytryingtofindyourPage.OncetheyclickLikefor yourPage,yourchosencategoryisoflittleornoconsequencetothem. Yourchoiceofcategorydoesmattertothesetupanddisplayofyourinformation,however.Different categoriesaskdifferenttypesofquestionsanddisplaydifferentamountsofinformation.Clickaround andtryafewcategoriesduringsetup;youcantchangeyourcategoryorPagenameonceyouhave createdthePage,sotakesometimeinthebeginningtomakesurethecategoryandinformationdisplay arewhatyouwant.
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Figure 3-5. The back end of a Facebook Page shows all the applications used to customize and display content.
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Figure 3-6. Popular Facebook Pages make good use of the standard, preset tabs.
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Static FBML
UseStaticFBMLtocreatecustomboxesortabsusingFBML(similartoHTML).Althoughdoingso requiressomecodingability,itsworththeeffort.ThisapplicationwillallowyoutodesignacustomlandingtabthattellsuserswhatyouofferandwhytheyshouldlikethePage.
Notes
AnofficialFacebookapplication,Notesallowsyoutopullinablogfeedandautomaticallyposttoyour Wall.Thishelpsyoukeepasteadystreamofcontentfromyourwebsitewithoutalwayshavingtolog intoFacebook.Youcanalsopostamanualnote,whichprovidesmoreformattingcapabilitiesthana standardstatusupdate.
Social RSS
SocialRSSisanothergoodRSSfeedappthatyoucanusetocreateafulltabdisplayofyourblogor Twitterfeed.Ifyouareafrequentblogger,thisapp(oronelikeit)isanecessity.SocialRSSenablesyou todisplayyourbloginitsowntabjustasitlooksonyoursite,asopposedtodisplayingasnippeton yourWall.
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Figure 3-7. Heres a slightly more complex usage of Facebook Page tabs.
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Wall
TheWalltabisthestandardlandingpageforyourFacebookPage.Thisiswherepeoplecanpostpublic messagestoyouorcommentonposts,justlikeforablog.Youcanupdateyourstatusfromthistab andviewolderstatusupdates.AnyapplicationsyouhaveauthorizedtoposttoyourWall,suchasRSS feeds,willalsoappearhere.PagememberscanlikeorcommentonanyofthepostsonyourWallaswell.
Info
TheInfotabdisplaysallofyourcompanyorbrandinformation,suchasamissionstatementorwebsite. TheinformationavailableonthistabisdependentuponthecategoryyouhavechosenforyourPage.This tabcanalsohelpyouincreaseyourpresenceinFacebooksearches,sobethorough.
photos
ThePhotostabhaslongbeenaFacebookstaple,butitcanbeastumblingblockforPageadmins.For somebrands,itishardtocomeupwithimagesthatpeoplewillwanttoviewonFacebook.Product shotsdontworkonthissite;youneedtomakepeoplewanttoclickthroughalbums.Thereisalotto lookatonFacebook,sogetcreativewithwaystouseyourproductorhavefunwithyourbrand.
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Figure 3-8. This Facebook tab makes use of FBML to add more design elements.
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page Applications
AFacebookPageusuallycomespreloadedwithseveralFacebook-developedapplications,including Photos,Links,Notes,Discussions,Videos,andEvents.Manyoftheseexistedonthesiteevenbefore theintroductionofPagesorapplications,andsoitiseasytoforgetthattheyare,infact,Facebookdevelopedapps. Thefunctionalityoftheseappsisprettyself-explanatory:eachallowsyoutouploadorpostthecontent theyarenamedfor.Thus,theyprovidethebasicstructureofaPageandthePagemembersinteractionswithcontent.YourFacebookPagemarketingstrategyshouldgofarbeyondthesebasicapplications,however.
Custom Applications
Facebookallowsdeveloperstocreateallkindsofcustomapps.Dependingonyoursize,budget,and strategy,youmightwanttodevelopyourowncustomapplicationsforPagememberuseorsimplyto takefullcontroloftabcustomizationanddesign(Figure3-8).Readilyavailable,freeapplicationscan helpyougetupandrunningquicklyoraddmorecontent,buttheyprovidelittlecontrol.Ifsomething breaks,youmustwaitforthedevelopertofixit,andyouusuallyhaveverylittlesayinhowcontentis displayedonyourPagetabs.UsingFBMLisoneoption,butforlandingtabsorpromotions,itisbestto designyourownapplications.
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Figure 3-9. Fashion brand Diane von Furstenberg features a robust, interactive custom tab on its Page.
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Figure 3-10. An example of poor internal Facebook search results for the T.J. Maxx brand.
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page Optimization
Tomaximizeyourreturn on investment(ROI)onFacebook,youwanttomakesureyouaregettingand keepingPagemembers(formerlycalledfans).Thisrequiresapplyingsomebasicsearch engine optimization(SEO)skillsandincludingkeywordsinyourcontent,forbothFacebookandoverallorganic searches,soyourPagecanbefoundthroughthesiteandontheInternetatlarge.
Organic Search
FacebookPagesareindexedbysearchengines.FacebookevenhasdealswithGoogleandBingtopull itssocialcontentforafeaturecalledreal-time search.YourPagewillbevisibleinsearchresults,providedyouhaveoptimizeditcorrectly,andcanevenbeviewedbypeoplewhodonothaveaFacebook account.
Facebook Search
Facebooksinternalsitesearchisnotoriouslypicky,butitisgettingbetter.Asyoumightimagine,rankingwellinaninternalFacebooksearchisevenmoreimportant(Figure3-10).Someonesearchingfor yourbranddirectlywithinFacebookknowswhatshewantsandisalmostcertaintoclickLikewhenshe reachesyourPage. WhenoptimizingyourFacebookPage,focusprimarilyonkeywordsandcontent;Facebookaddsthe nofollowattributetolinks,makingitdifficulttopassonanylinkpower.Agood,keyword-richcontent strategyshouldbeattheheartofyourPageoptimizationplan,asitwillhelpnewusersfindyouand keepoldonescomingback.Ofcourse,alsoincludealltheimportantlinkstoyoursitesothatpeople wholikeyouonFacebookcaneasilynavigatetoyourwebsite.
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Figure 3-11. Coachs keyword-rich Info tab also makes good use of the ability to add links.
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Figure 3-12. Look for multiple ways to cross-promote content, such as on a Facebook tab, Facebook Wall, and website.
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Figure 3-13. A variety of promotional tactics, incentives, and continuous new content keeps the Victorias Secret Pink Page fresh and engaging.
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Figure 3-14. Wall posts, status updates, and user comments on the Zappos Page encourage interaction.
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page Interactions
TherearemanywaysthatuserscaninteractwithyourPage,fromtheongoingstreamofstatusupdates andpoststhatappearontheWalltomediauploadstheycancommenton.Customapplications,especiallythosedesignedforuserinteraction,alsoencourageclicking.Everyinteractionworkstoimprove yourrankingandkeepyournamehighupintheFacebookNewsfeed. Wall posts ThepreferredmeansofcommunicationforfrequentFacebookusersisWallposting,becausethese messagesarequickandeasytopost(Figure3-14).Theyarealsoopenandvisibletothepublic greatforpraise,butnotsomuchforcomplaints.Besuretorespondquicklyhere. Media comments MembersofyourPagecanviewandcommentonanythingyouuploadtothePage.Takephotosat eventstoencouragelikingandtaggingwhenpeopleseethemselves,andconsideraphotocommentcontesttogetengagementgoing,especiallyearlyon. Inbox updates ThesemessageswonthelpyourPageinteractiondirectly,butyoucanusethemtobulk-message allPagemembersandalertthemtoimportantnewuploads.Includelinkstosendmembersdirectly tothecontentyouwantthemtointeractwith. Custom applications Asyoudesignyourcustomapplication,besuretothinksocially.Provideeasywaysforusersto sharetheresultsofyourapplicationwithfriendsorinvitethemtotryitaswell.IncludeaSharebuttonatallstagesofinteractionwiththeapplicationsouserscanposttotheirWallandnewsfeed.
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Figure 3-15. Facebook hosts over 1.6 million active Pages, with a combined total of 5.3 billion Page members. (Graphic by Muhammad Saleem forMashable.com.)
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Summary
AccordingtoFacebook,therearenearly500millionactiveFacebookusers,eachofwhomisconnectedto 60FacebookPages,Groups,andEventsonaverage.ThepopularFacebook-focusedblogAllFacebook keepsarunningtallyofthemostpopularFacebookPages,rankedbythenumberofuserswholike thesePages.Atthiswriting,thetopPageisZyngasTexasHoldemPoker,withmorethan17million userconnections,whiletheofficialPageforFacebookisapproaching10million. Obviously,Facebookisgrowingrapidly(Figure3-15),asareFacebookPages.Pagesarethekeytoyour brandsmarketingonFacebook.Whetheryourgoalsaresearchpresence,generalawareness,customer service,orsales,youneedtotakethissocialnetworkseriouslyifyouwantyourPagetosucceed. Moreandmore,FacebookusersareexpectingbrandstobeonFacebook.Theylookatthesitemuch thewaywelookedattheInternet10yearsago,andareconfusedwhentheycantfindtheirfavorite storeorcelebrity.Dontdisappointyourfanswithahalf-heartedPage.ThinkofyourFacebookPageas anextensionofyourwebsiteandputthesameamountoftimeandeffortintoit.
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ChApTeR 4
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Figure 4-1. As this chart by All Facebook shows, Group functionality can vary greatly from that of Pages.
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Figure 4-2. Photo albums are very popular with Groups because they bring a more human element that Pages lack. This local Group posts photos of members at events.
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Figure 4-3. Groups are intended to foster discussion, as this one does with technology topics.
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Figure 4-4. Rallying people to take action is often easier to achieve with a Group, like this one hoping to bring the UFC back to Vancouver.
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Figure 4-5. You can fine-tune a lot of the settings for your Group. Keep them global and open to maximize your reach.
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Creating a Group
Whenyouneedtopromotesomethingquicklyorarelookingtofosterastrongersenseofcommunity, aFacebookGroupmaybethewaytogo.TocreateaGroup,gototheGroupsapplicationandclick CreateaGroupintheupper-rightcornerofthePage.AllGroupsrequireaGroupname,description, andGrouptype.YoucannoteditthenetworkofaGroupafteritiscreated,sothinkcarefullybeforeyou begin.
Keep It Global
TogetthemaximumreachandvalueoutofyourGroup,youneedtoensurethatanyonewhowants tocanjoinwithouthavingtobeapprovedbyanadmin.Youalsowantthemtobeabletoinvitetheir friends,asthiscutsdownontheworkforyouandallowsyoutofocusonbuildingcontentthatpeople wanttoshare.WhensettingupyourGroup,makesureyoucreateitasaGlobalGroup(Figure4-5)so itisvisibletoallofFacebook,andsetitsaccesstoOpen,allowingmemberstoinvitefriends.Members shouldalsobeabletopostandsharelinksandmediaontheGroupPage.Ontheotherhand,ifyouare usingaGroupspecificallyforitsprivacycontrols,youmaywishtokeeptheGroupclosedsoyoucan approvemembers.
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Figure 4-6. Provide a detailed description of your Group, and be sure to include links and keywords. This will help people find the Group and convince them to join right away.
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Figure 4-7. The BU Young Alumni Group is a good example of a Group that is connected to a Page and really focuses on building a community for alumni.
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Managing a Group
OnceyourGroupissetupcorrectly,youneedtostartaddingmembersandpostingcontent.Read Chapter9formoreideasonposting,andkeepinmindthatthegoalofaGroupistostartconversations.Manyofyourdutiesasanadminwillcenteronmonitoringdiscussionsandencouragingcommentswherenecessary(Figure4-7).
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Figure 4-8. Groups are a great place to post events, both real and virtual. This local gym uses Group events to motivate members.
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Incorporate events
EventsandGroupshaveagreaterreachthanotherelementsonFacebook,astheyhavebuilt-inpassit-onfunctionality(Figure4-8).IncludeabriefintroductionwithyourEventinviteandkeepitasopenas possible.Allowgueststoinviteotherpeopleandposttheirownvideos,links,andphotos.Thesecanbe physicalorvirtualevents,justlikewithaPage.
Send Messages
GroupmessagingismoreusefulthanFacebookPagemessaging,becauseGroupmessagesaredeliveredtotherecipientsinboxjustlikethosefromfriends.Youcanquicklykeepallmembersup-to-date onGroupnews,events,andinformationbyselectingMessageAllMembersanddraftingyourmessage likeanyotherprivatecorrespondenceonFacebook.KeepinmindthatthisworksonlyifyourGrouphas fewerthan5,000members.ButwhenyouuseMessageAllMembersinconjunctionwithyoursegmentedfriendlists,youcandeliververytargeted,relevantmessaging.
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Figure 4-9. Some Groups, like this one that helps members reminisce about the 90s, naturally get a lot of posts. Others may require more encouragement from admins.
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Figure 4-10. The ease of creating and posting on Groups makes them a target for spammers. Monitor closely and remove offensive or unrelated posts.
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Removing Content
Developaremovalorresponsestrategy,justlikeforaPage.Bereadytoremovepoststhatusefoul languageorareoverlyhatefultoyourGroupsgoal.Alsowatchforbullyingofothermembers,aswellas peoplewhopostunrelatedspamcontenttotheGroupWall.
encouraging posting
ManagingaGroupisntjustaboutremovinginappropriateposts.Youneedtokeepthecontentflowing andtheconversationengaging.Hopefully,yourGroupwillbefullofusefulcontentfrommembers.Butif not,partofyourjobwillbetopushthemtowardpostingbyaskingquestions,makingintroductions,and postinglinkstointerestingarticlesorsites.
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Figure 4-11. This Facebook Group connects Boston University Alumni, a subset of the entire Boston University faculty, student, and alumni community.
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Figure 4-12. Groups can be quick to set up, but youve got to do it right. Always keep the conversation flowing and encourage participation.
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Summary
FacebookGroupsarewellsuitedformarketingaroundtime-sensitiveissuesandcauses.Groupshavea moreclose-knitfeelandarealittlebitsimplertograspthanPages.Theeaseofuseandintuitivecommunicationtoolsmakethemagreatplacetoprovideanopenforumformembers. Remember,Groupparticipationstartswiththeadmin.Askquestionstogetpeopletalking,offering stories,andsharingtips.Becarefulwhenthisinvolvessensitivetopicsorhealthissues.Youdontwant falseinformationorfamilyremediestakingoveryourGroup.Ifthatisaconcern,aclosedGroupwill allowyoutoapprovepeoplebeforetheyjoinandpost. AlotofelementsgointoeventhesimplestofGroups(Figure4-12),butFacebookofferstoolstohelp you.Yourchallengeistousethemcorrectly.Themostimportantthingyoucanrememberisthatpeople onlygetoutofaGroupwhatyouputin.Takethetimetosetitupright,andactivelymonitorandparticipateinyourGroup.
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ChApTeR 5
Facebook events
UsingFacebooksEventfunctions,youcaninviteuserstoanyevent,beitrealorvirtual.Eventsare greatforrallyingPagemembersaroundatimelyhappening,whetheritisasale,movieopening,menu revamp,ornewproductlaunch.Plus,becauseEventshaveadedicatedtabonyourPage,Pagememberscaneasilyseewhatyoureupto. Eventsarequickandeasytosetup,perfectforcreatingaquickresponsetoatime-sensitiveissue.This makesthemano-brainerforinclusioninyourFacebookmarketingstrategy.Ontheflipside,theyare alsoeasyenoughforanyoneelsetomake,leavingalotofEventclutteronthesite.Thismakesitharder (butnotimpossible)touseFacebookEventseffectively.Youjustneedalittleextraefforttomakeyour Eventstandout.
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Figure 5-1. Facebook Events should be used for actual events that include a time and a place in the real world. They can also be used for virtual events, but be careful not to confuse people.
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Figure 5-2. Give guests as much information as possible when creating an Event. Fill out every field completelytheyre there for a reason.
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Creating an event
SettingupaFacebookEvent(Figure5-2)isoneoftheeasiestthingstodoonthesite.Perhapsthats whytherearesomanyunfinishedandunmonitoredEventslitteringthesocialnetwork.Dontcontribute tothemess:createyourEventscorrectly.
Allow Interaction
KeepyourEventasopenaspossible.Onewaytodothisistoallowyourinviteestoinviteotherpeople. ThisopensupyourEventtoamuchlargernetwork.Allowallyourinviteestopostvideos,links,and photosoftheEvent.Youcanusethisstrategytodriveinterestleadinguptothebignightandtograb contentforyourPageafterward,whenattendeesarelikelytopostphotostheytookattheEvent. EncourageconversationamonginviteesbykeepingtheWallopentoallowdiscussion.Dontforgetto participateyourself!
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Figure 5-3. To break through the clutter of random Facebook Events, be sure to upload an image, check for proper grammar, and include lots of keywords.
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Figure 5-4. Because Facebook limits the number of Event invitations you can send, its often easier to send a mass update to all Page members with a link to the Event and let them add themselves to the guest list.
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Sending Invites
NowthatyouvecreatedyourEventonFacebook,heresthe(slight)catch.Asamarketer,youshould beusingaPagetotalktoyourfansonFacebook,butaPagecantinvitepeopletoanEvent.Onlya personalProfilehasthatcapability. Youhaveafewoptionshere.OnewouldbetobreaktheFacebookTermsofServiceandcreatea FacebookProfileforyourbrandaswell.Notonlyisthatnotagreatidea,butyoullalsowastealotof timeandenergy.AbettersolutionistouseyourownProfiletopersonallyinvitesomefriendsyouthink mightbeinterestedintheEvent.Startsmallandencouragethemtoinvitetheirfriends.Youcanalsouse youremaillisttoinvitepeopletoanEvent.Thiscanbetricky,asyoucaninviteonly100peopleinone inviteblast,andFacebookallowsonly300pendinginvitationsatanygiventime.Still,youremaillistcan beagreatwaytoseedtheEventwithsomeofyourmajorsupporters. Thegoodnewsisthat,althoughyoucaninviteonly100peopleatatime,anunlimitednumberofpeople canRSVPtoanEvent.SoyoucancreateapostonyourFacebookPagewithalinktotheEventor sendamassupdatetoPagemembers(Figure5-4).AslongasyoukeeptheEventopenandpublic, memberscansimplyaddthemselvestotheguestlist.
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Figure 5-5. A local restaurant uses Facebook Events to promote special dinners, while international clothing retailer Gap advertises its in-store and online sales.
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Figure 5-6. A well-designed Facebook Event that was used to announce a virtual live-chat event.
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Figure 5-7. A fashion-focused PR firm always makes sure to take photos at an event and upload them to clearly labeled Facebook albums. The popular social media blog Mashable does the same at its real-life events.
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event Follow-Up
AttheEvent,youllgetachancetomeetsomefansofyourbrand.Afteritsover,youshouldhavesome greatcontentandstoriestosharewiththem.PostthiscontenttoyourEventpagesothatattendees canseetheirphotos,andpeoplewhocouldntattendthistimecanseewhattheymissed.Afewsimple uploadswillkeepthemengagedwithyourbrandandalsohelpyouimmediatelybeginbuildingexcitementforthenextEvent. post photos and video. UploadanymediayougatheredattheEventtobothyourbrandPageandtheuniqueEventPage. MakesureeveryEventhasitsownphotoalbum,video,orbothonyourbrandPage,andclearly labelandexplaintheEvent(Figure5-7).YoucanalsolinktotheFacebookEventPage.Adding photoscreatessocialproofandtellspeopleyourEventsarefunandworthgoingto.Italsokeeps attendeesengagedastheytrytotagthemselvesinphotosandsharewithfriends. Send a thank-you note. SaythanksforattendingintheformofbothastatusupdateonyourPageandamassupdateto Pagemembers.Itsanicetouchandacourtesythatstillappliesinthedigitalage.Youcanalso linktothephotosfromyourEventandencourageattendeestotagphotosandcommentontheir favoritepartofthenight. Use what you got. UsethephotosandcommentsfromoneEventwhenyouplanthenextone.Includementionsof thelasttimesoattendeesrememberhowmuchfuntheyhadandtoenticenewcomerstogetin ontheaction.
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Figure 5-8. The Starbucks Frappuccino Happy Hour was a widely promoted nationwide event that included a public Facebook Event component.
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Summary
TheeaseofEventsetupcreatesalotofspammyorpoorlywrittenFacebookEvents.Youcanbreak throughtheclutterwithproperpunctuationandgrammar,informativeEventinformation,andaneyecatchingimage.Also,keepyoursettingpublicformaximumEventvisibility(Figure5-8). ToensureyourEventisasuccessinreallifeandonFacebookuseyourothermarketingchannels inconjunctionwithit.MakethemostofthissimpleandfreeFacebooktool.PromotetheEventtoyour emaillistandonyourFacebookPage.DontjustexpectpeopletofindtheEventandinvitetheirfriends. Makesuretheyknowwhatsgoingon,whenitshappening,andthatyouwantthemtobringfriends.
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Figure 6-1. When users install your application, the application asks them for permission to access pieces of their personal information.
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Figure 6-2. Flowers for Mothers Day is a great example of an application that enhances existing social behavior.
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Oneoftheeasiestwaystodesignaninherentlysocialapplicationistoidentifypre-existingsocialbehaviorandmakeitbetter.Auserismuchmorelikelytouseyourapplicationtosendcongratulationstoa collegegraduatethaninanentirelynewkindofsocialinteraction.Thelatterisentirelypossibleitsjust muchharderfromamotivationandmarketingpointofview.Infact,oneofthemostpopularapplicationsonFacebookallowsuserstosendoneanotherbirthdaygreetings,anactivityasoldasbirthitself. Knowingyourtargetaudiencecanhelpimmenselywiththis.Forinstance,ifyouretargetingmothers, youcouldcreateanapplicationthatallowstheirchildrentosendthemvirtualflowersonMothersDay (Figure6-2).Or,ifyouwanttoreachnewparents,youmightbuildanItsaBoy/Girlapplication.Even alimitedamountofresearchorknowledgeaboutyourprospectiveusersshouldallowyoutocreatea listofpopular,pre-existingsocialinteractionstheyhaveonFacebook.Onceyouvegotalistofthose actions,decidewhichfitbestwithyourbrandstrategy.Acleaningproductscompanywoulddowell tobuildaparty-relatedapplicationwithareminderthattheycanhelpcleanupthenextmorning.Ifyou haveanemaillistofcustomers,asimplesurveyaskingthemwhattheycurrentlydoonFacebookisa quickandeasywaytogetatonofgreatideas. Rememberthatnoonewantstosocializeaboutsomethingtheyperceiveasboring(nomatterhowfascinatingyoumayfindlifeinsurance).Theywanttosocializearoundthemselvesandtheirfriends.Work hardtopositionyourbrandastheonethathelpsthemdothatbetter.
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Figure 6-3. Vampires is a successful application that learned from previous successes on Facebook, including Zombies.
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Figure 6-4. Scrabble was successfully and popularly translated from its offline incarnation into a Facebook application.
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Figure 6-5. Poker is a social game and the developers of this application built in several touch points where players are encouraged to include their friends.
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Figure 6-6. Users of your Facebook application can be incentivized to invite their friends to add your application, too.
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Development
Afteryouvecomeupwithanawesomeideaforyourapp,drawoutexactlyhowuserswillinteractwith it.Dontworryifyoudontthinkyoucandraw;infact,theworseyouareatmakingprettypictures,the betteroffyoullbewhencreatingmockups.Useapenandpaper(markersworkgreatforthissincethey forceyoutoforgetthedetailsandfocusontheoverarchingstructures)oradigitaltoolsuchasBalsamiq Mockups,AdobePhotoshop,orevenMicrosoftPowerPoint.Blockoutthemostimportantfeaturesand useractionsandgetthismockupinfrontofpotentialusersasearlyasyoucan.Evenwithoutafunctioningprototype,youllbesurprisedathowmanygreatinsightsyoullget.Drawthesefastanddontget tooattachedtoanyindividualversionyoushouldntbeafraidtothrowthemoutandstartover.
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Figure 6-8. The development of a Facebook application should be an iterative, cyclical process.
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Asmentionedearlier,youprobablywontbedevelopingtheapplicationyourself.Whenyourefairly comfortablewithyourroughmockups,starttalkingtoyourdevelopers:theyllgiveyouideasabouthow easyordifficultspecificpartsofyourappwillbetodevelopandmaintain.Youshouldalsostartworking withyourdesigneratthisstage,ifyouhaveoneseparatefromyourdevelopmentresources.Ifyouhave theresources,itsalsoagoodideatohireadedicateduserexperienceandinteractionexpert. Facebookisafluidenvironment,andyoullbelearningasyoubuildandlaunchyourapplication,soplan todevelopiniterations(Figure6-8).Forgetperfectionism;getaminimallyfunctioningapplicationup andrunningassoonaspossibleandkeepworkingtoimproveit.Thebestdevelopmentmethodology forprojectslikethisisavariantofagile development,asubjectonwhichyoucanfindanynumberof websitesorbooks.
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Figure 6-9. Your Facebook application has several places (including its Page) where youll need to create attractive art and copy to convince users to install it.
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Figure 6-10. This is the screen youll see when you add your Facebook application to Facebooks Application Directory.
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Whenyourapplicationreachesatleast5totalusersor10monthlyactiveusers,youshouldsubmitit toFacebooksApplicationDirectory.ThelinkyoullneedisonyourapplicationssettingsPage(Figure 6-10).Inadditiontotherequired250-characterdescription,youcanoptionallyuploada75-pixel-square logo.Takeadvantageofbothoftheseopportunities.Describeyourapplicationusingkeywordspeople arelikelytosearchforandprovideanenticingscreenshotasyourapplicationslogo. Ifyoudesignedyourapplicationtobeinherentlysocial,yoursoftlaunchwillformaseedofuserswho willbeginsharingitwiththeirfriends.Inaperfectworld,youllhavedonesuchagoodjobthatthisseed isallthepromotiontheappneedstostartspreadinglikewildfire.Ifthatsnotthecase,dontworry. Rememberthatyoureworkingiterativelyandyoullbeconstantlymakingimprovements.Thereare severalpaidoptionsforpromotingyourapplication,theeasiestofwhichistouseFacebooksbuilt-in advertisingsystem(checkoutChapter11formoreinformationonads).Youcanalsobuyadspacefrom oneoftheFacebookapplicationadvertisingnetworks,butitisgenerallyagoodideatostartwiththe built-inFacebookads.
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Summary
ThemostimportantelementofdesigningaFacebookapplicationistobuildsocialactivitydirectlyinto thefabricoftheapplication.Dontaddonsharingfunctionalityasanafterthought.Figureoutwhatexisting socialbehaviorsyourtargetusersareperformingonFacebook,anduseyourapplicationtofacilitatethem. Minimizethetimeittakesausertogetvalueoutofyourapplication.Reduce,simplify,andclarifyyour applicationsothattheexperienceofusingitisasintuitiveaspossible,andmakesurepeoplearebeing socialwithyourapplication. Facebookapplicationdevelopmentisanongoingprocess,andyoushouldstrivefortheiterativedevelopmentgoalsofrelease earlyandrelease often.Thinkaboutyourapplicationasaconstantlyimproving workinprogress.
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Figure 7-1. Longer Facebook icons provide more real estate to customize your Page on the Wall and Info tab. Fashion brands have made good use of this trick.
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page Icon
ThePageiconisthefirstthingcurrentPagemembersseeeverytimetheycometoyourPage.Its thumbnailimageisalsohowyouwillberepresentedintheFacebookNewsfeed,wheremanyother Pagesandfriendsarealsoclamoringforattention.YourPageiconmuststandoutbutalsoclearlyrepresentyourbrandandbeeasilydistinguishableinthefast-pacedenvironmentoftheNewsfeed. APageiconismostoftenacompanylogoorsomevariationofit.Theperfectsizeis200pixelssquare, whichshrinksexactlyintothethumbnailwithoutcropping.Youcanalsoexperimentwithanelongated iconthatis600pixelshighby200pixelswide.Inthiscase,athirdofyouricon(200pixelssquare) shouldbesomethingthatcanserveasthethumbnail,andyoucanspecifyhowFacebookcropsthe icon.MaintainingaconnectionbetweenthePageiconandNewsfeedthumbnailwillhelpyouincrease interaction,engagement,andclick-throughs;Pagememberswillimmediatelyrecognizeyourbrandin theNewsfeedandrespondtoyourcontent. BecausethePageiconissuchanimportantrepresentationofyourbrandandofyourPage,youshould takefulladvantageofthespaceFacebookallows.AlongerPageicongivesyoumorerealestateto revampyourPageslookrightontheWalltab,whileaconsistentlogoareawithintheiconpreventsconfusionintheNewsfeed.Manyfashionbrands(Figure7-1)useastaticlogoandtimelyredesignsofthe restoftheicontoshowcasenewlooks.
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Figure 7-2. A simple custom tab layout helps direct visitors to your site or other parts of Facebook. Keep the look in line with your brand.
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Figure 7-3. Your posts are what most Page members will see on a daily basis. Give them some personality and include photos and links, like ideeli does here.
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Content
Chapter8delvesintocontentoptimizationanddevelopmentthoroughly,butthetopicbearsmentioning hereaswell.Addingandupdatingcontent,bothinstatictabsandasstatusupdates(Figure7-3),isone oftheeasiestwaystocustomizeyourPageandhelpitstandoutfromthepack. Thinkaboutyourbrandandyourbusiness.Doesithaveavoice?Maybeitsaseriousoldersisterwith lotsofwiseinformationtoimpart.Oritcouldbethewise-crackingsidekickwhosalwaysreadywitha laugh.YourbrandhasatoneapersonalityandFacebookisagreatplacetoputthatpersonalityto use. ContentisthemostmalleablepieceofaFacebookPage,soyoushouldreallymakeitcount.Nomatter whatyouareofferingonyourPageorthetoneyouwantittotake,contentcustomizationiskey.Find someonewhocanwritewell,andnotjustinlengthyemailsandwebpages.Ittakesaspecialfinesseto makeaFacebookupdateinteresting,informative,andnoticeableinjust50wordsorless. Ifyouveinvestedinafewgeneralorall-purposeFacebooktabswithroomforstaticcontent,youcan swapoutthistextandkeepyourPagefreshwithoutgoingtothetroubleofafullredesign.Thiswillhelp youcustomizeyourtabsandyourPagewheneveryouneedto,evenifyoudonthaveafullsuiteof designresourcesatyourfingertips.
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Figure 7-4. T.J. Maxx asks Page members to submit their best fashion finds for community voting on Friday. The winner gets featured on the Page, and T.J. Maxx gets a lot of Page interaction.
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Figure 7-5. Britney Spears often posts sneak peeks of photos and other media or news first on her Facebook Page.
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exclusive Stuff
YouwantpeopletovisityourFacebookPageand,ultimately,tovisityourwebsiteorphysicallocation topurchaseyourproductorservice.Unlesstheyrealreadycustomers,however,youcantjumpinwith thehardsell.YouneedtoconvinceFacebookuserstoclickLikeforyourPageandthentokeepcoming back. CustomizingyourPagedesignandcontentwilldrawinnewvisitors,butofferingexclusivecontent (Figure7-5)willkeepthemcomingback.Thisisalsooneofthebestwaystostandapartfromyour competitors,whoeithercantorwontofferwhatyoudo. Thinkaboutwhatyourcurrentcustomerslike.Discountsandsecretsalesareaneasyopportunityfor retailPages,butdontbeafraidtothinkoutsidethebox.CouldyougiveawayaspecialgifttoFacebook Pagemembersonly?Orofferanoff-menuentreetheyneedasecretpasswordtoorderatyour restaurant? Itmaysoundalittlecheesy,butpeoplelovetofeelspecial.Exclusivityfeedsthatfeelingandisalsoa verysimplewaytocustomizeyourPage.Yourexclusivedealcouldchangeeveryweekorrotateonce everyfewmonths.Hideitonacustomtabthatrequireslikingtoview,andthenpromoteitsporadically throughstatusupdates.Mostimportantly,makesureitspeakstoyourbrandandyourPageandoffers somethingnooneelsecan.
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Figure 7-6. The New York Times uses Involver to power a simple yet effective custom tab on its Facebook Page.
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Custom Tabs
FacebookhastriedveryhardtostayawayfromtheoverlycustomizableoptionsthatMySpaceoffers, butitdoesallowyoutocreateyourowncustomtabs.Tabsarecurrentlyrestrictedto520pixelswide andcannotcontainautoplaycontent;anyinteractivefunctionalitymustbeclick-to-engage.Although youareconstrainedtocustomizingjustafewtabs,youcandoquiteabitinthatlimitedarea. Ifyoudonthavemuchcodingexperienceortheresourcestohiresomeonewhodoes,startwitha basictabwithafewstaticimagesandtext.Manyfreeapplicationsprovidethebasicshellofataband enableyoutocustomizewithinit.StaticFBMListhemostpopularofthese,butasmentionedpreviously Facebookhasindicatedthatitmightmovetowardiframesinthefuture,sokeepthatinmind. Otherappshelpyoucreateatabbyrepurposingexistingcontent.SocialRSSisgreatforpullingina blogorotherRSSchannel.Theappcreatesatabthatrequiresyoutoenteronlyalittleintrotext,a headline,andanRSSfeed.Involver,apaidservice,alsooffersasuiteofFacebooktabtoolsthatrequire littletonocodingability(Figure7-6). Ofcourse,ifyouwantafullycustomizedtab,youcanbuildyourownapplicationtorunthetabsonyour Pageandhavetotalcontroloverthecontentdisplayandfunctionality.Thismayneedtobeoutsourced, asitrequiresdesignanddevelopmentknowledge.
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Figure 7-7. Starbucks created a simple member benefits application that lets you earn rewards at its stores, without having to leave Facebook to sign up on its website.
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User Applications
BuildinganapplicationtofullycustomizeyourPagetabsisgreatforyou.Butyoucanalsobuilda morefunctionalandengagingtabthatuserswillenjoy(Figure7-7).Creatinganapplicationthatisfun butrelevanttoyourbusinesscanbechallenging,butonceyouhaveanidea,itcanbeagreatwayto marketyourcompanyonFacebook. Applicationsdesignedforusersneedtobefun.Often,theyaredownrightsilly.Manypeopleuse Facebooktokilltime,sogamesandtriviaappsarepopular.LookatFarmVille,MafiaWars,orBrain Buddiesforinspirationonwhatyoucouldaddtoyourtabs.PhotosarealsoabigpartofFacebook,so applicationsthatallowyoutodesignordecoratephotosareusuallyahit.AppslikeFunnyPhotoWidget andPictureFramedisplayalbumsincool,uniqueways.Theyalsogetalotoftractionbecausepeople enjoypostingphotostotheirWallsandnewsfeeds,promotingtheappforfree. Attheheartofitall,Facebookisaboutpeoplesuniquelikesandinterests,asrepresentedbytheir Profiles.ApplicationsthatcapitalizeontheoftennarcissistictendenciesoffrequentFacebookusers,and createanexperiencetailoredtothem,workwell.DiscoveryChannelsSharkWeekappmadeaminimemorialoutofinformationpulledfromausersProfile,asdidaCSIcrimesceneapplication. Whetheritsphotos,games,orpersonalexperiences,alltheseappshaveonethingincommon:they aremadefortheusers,notthebrands.Thatmakesthemfuntouseandquicktospread,whichinturn helpsthebrand.
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Figure 7-8. Facebooks own Page about Pages demonstrates how to customize your content without a lot of fuss.
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Summary
SomesaythatFacebooksrulesforusersaretoorigid,inparticularthoseforbrandsmanagingPages. Whilethesitedoesimposesomerestrictions,Facebookactuallyoffersmarketersawealthofpossible opportunitiesforcustomizationandinteractionwithfans(Figure7-8).Youmaynotalwayshavethe freedomyoudesire,butFacebooksdecisionsarebasedoncarefulscrutinyofhowusersnavigateand interactwiththesiteandwillhelpyoureachyourgoals. Youdonthavetocompetewithallofthebigbrands,justknowthattheyarethere.Takecuesfromwhat theydoandfindwaystomakethosethingsworkforyou.Keepontopofthelatesttrendsandupdates onthesite,andneverstoplisteningtoyourPagemembers.Theyarethemostvaluableassetyouhave andwillletyouknowhowandwhereyoucanbettercustomizeyourPagetomeettheirneeds.
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Figure 8-1. There are 900 million people, places, and things that a user can interact with on Facebook. More than 30 billion pieces of content are shared across the site each month. (Graphic by The Blog Herald.)
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Figure 8-2. A typical newsfeed is cluttered with content from Facebook Pages, friends, and applications. A content strategy can help bring order to your posts.
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establish Goals
WhatdoyouwanttodoonFacebook?Areyoutryingtoengagepeoplewhocurrentlypreferand useyourbrand?ToattractnewPagememberswhoalreadyuseyourservicebutdontknowyoure onFacebook?Tosellyourproductorgenerateleads?Chancesarethatyousaidyestoallofthese, buttheyarefourdifferentgoalsthatworkverydifferentlyonFacebookthanelsewhereontheWeb. Facebookisasocialnetwork,andwhilesomepeoplewillbereceptivetosalespitches,themajorityare theretotalktofriendsandconnectwithbrandstheyreally,trulylove.Tobeoneofthosebrands,you needtofollowtheunofficialFacebookrulesofetiquette.Thatmeanspostingqualityinformationwitha frequencyandstylethatmatchesFacebook:fastandfun.Youcantellpeopleaboutthethingsyousell, butyouvegottostrikeabalancebetweeninterestingorexclusiveinformationandsaleslinks.
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Figure 8-3. The top 10 Facebook Pages average just 1.7 posts a day. The most popular Page, Zyngas Texas Holdem Poker, often posts five times a day.
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Determine Frequency
MostFacebookusersexpectaPagetopostnewcontentatleastonceaday(Figure8-3).Someprefer ahighervolumeofposts;otherscitethisasareasonforunlikingaPage.Youcantpleaseeveryone,but theupsidetopostingfrequentlyisthatmorepeoplewillcatchitintheirnewsfeeds. Thinkabouttimedifferencesandbehaviorpatternswhenposting.Ifyoualwayspostfirstthinginthe morning,manypeoplewillmissitastheyreontheirwaytowork.Theymaynotevenbeawake,especiallyifyouareontheEastCoastandhavePagemembersseveralhoursbehindyou.Youdontwantto simplyrepostthingsoverandover,however,becauseatsomepoint,peoplewillgotoyouractualPage andseeaWallofrepeatposts.Varyyourlanguageandthewayyouhandleasubject. Thetop10mostpopularFacebookPagespostanaverageof1.7updatesperday.Ofcourse,they alsohaveanaverageofover15millionPagemembersalready.IfyouareworkingtoattractnewPage members,youshouldprobablybepostingmorefrequently,atleastinthebeginning,inordertoquickly populateyourPagewithgreatcontentthatwillattractreturnvisitorsandhelpyoumoveupinsearch rankings. Considerpostingonceadayatthebareminimum,andaimtopostthreetofivetimesadayifyouhave thecontentandresourcestosupportit.
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Figure 8-4. Marshalls sets expectations and builds excitement around recurring Friday fan promotions.
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Figure 8-5. A content calendar can help you stay organized and on-topic. This one includes both Facebook and Twitter for cross-post continuity.
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Figure 8-6. Sample sale website ideelis Facebook Page ranks higher than competing coupon sites in Google results.
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Figure 8-7. Gilt Groupe keeps it simple with a Page name and URL that match its brand name. The Info Box includes keywords about what Gilt Groupe offers.
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Figure 8-8. The ASPCA uses a simple yet emotional image on its default landing tab to draw in users. Its tab also has lots of text to ensure it ranks highly and drives maximum traffic.
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Figure 8-9. Victorias Secret Pink includes videos, photo albums, and links in its status updates. It includes captions for every piece of media uploaded and frequently creates public events.
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Other Content
Italmostgoeswithoutsaying,butitsimportanttocontinuallyshareinterestingcontentonyour FacebookPageandalwaysuseallavailabledescriptivefieldsoneachtypeofcontentshared.This adviceextendspaststatictabsandintotheever-changingworldofstatusupdatesandmediauploads (Figure8-9).Facebookallowsnearlyeverypieceofcontenttobeindexedbysearchengines,souse thetabs,tools,andinputfieldsthatFacebookprovidestoyourfulladvantage.Hereareafewcontentspecifictips: Media Postphotostomultiplealbumsandincludekeyword-richdescriptionsofthealbumandeachphoto. Everyeventortopicshouldhaveitsownalbumforeasiersearching.AllowPagememberstopost theirownphotosandcommentonortagyouruploads. events UsetheEventsfeatureforbothrealandvirtualevents.Alwaysfilloutallfieldswithafulldescription oftheevent,andmakeitopentothepublic.SeeChapter5formoreinformationonEvents. Status updates Thereisalotofdebateabouttheextenttowhichupdateshelpwithsearchengines,butitsclear thattheyareabigfactorinFacebooksearches.Takeyourtimewhenplanningcontentandinclude keywords;thisisthebulkofwhatPagememberswillseeonadailybasis.YoucanalsoaddadiscussionforumtoyourPageforevenmorefrequentlyupdatedcontent.
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Figure 8-10. Victorias Secret Pinks strategy has paid off, as the company often receives upward of 5,000 likes or 1,000 comments.
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Increased Interactions
UserinteractionisacrucialyetelusivefactorinoptimizingyourFacebookPageandimprovingsearch presence.FacebookviewsinteractionswithyourPage(likes,comments,andposts)muchlikeasearch engineviewslinkspointingtoyoursite.AuserinteractionisavoteforthecontentofyourPage(Figure 8-10)andhelpsFacebookrankithigherinitssearchand,ultimately,helpsyourPagerankhigherin searchenginesaswell. Facebooksfocusonuserbehaviorandinteractionextendstovisits,clicks,andEventRSVPsaswell. Theexactweightoralgorithmthesiteusestocalculateinteractionisunclear,butthehighertheengagementonyourPage,thehigheryouwillrankinFacebooksearchesandthemoreprominentyourplacementinasuggestedsearch. ThepredictivesearchfieldcanmostcloselybelikenedtothefirstpageofGoogleresults.Mostusers nevergototheactualFacebooksearchPage.Whenauserbeginstypinginthesearchbox(atthetop ofeveryPage),Facebookwillsuggestfriends,Pages,applications,orEventsbasedonherpastbehavior,thebehaviorofthosesheisconnectedto,andoptimizationofPages. EncourageinteractiononyourPagebypostingfrequentlyandincludinglotsofcontentthatasksusers directlytointeract.Linkparticipationtoprizes:towin,usersmustvoteonphotosbylikingthemorcommentonyourWallorpostedupdate.Evenwithoutprovidinganadditionalincentive,youllfindinteractionwillspikewhenyouendapostwithaquestionlikeWhatdoyouthink?Tryitthedifferencewill surpriseyou.
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Figure 8-11. The sheer volume of people and content on Facebook at any given moment necessitates a strong content strategy to break through the clutter. (Graphic by Muhammad Saleem for Mashable.com.)
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Summary
ThekeyforFacebookmarketingistokeepyourPageintheFacebookNewsfeedsothatPagemembersseeit,andalsotoprovidecontentthatmakesthemwanttocomment,like,orshareit.Whena userinteractswithyourcontent,hisfriendswillseeitintheirnewsfeedsaswell,therebyexpandingyour reach.Optimizedcontentalsoimprovesyourrankinginbothorganicsearchengineresultsandinternal Facebooksearchresults,allowingpeopleactivelysearchingforrelatedtermstofindyou. SearchenginesindexsocialsiteslikeFacebook,soawell-optimizedFacebookPagewillgiveyou anotherlistinginsearchresultsforyourcompanyandrelatedindustryorserviceterms.GoogleandBing alsopullreal-timesearchresultsfromFacebook,sostatusupdatesandothertimelycontentcouldput youonthefirstpageofasearchengineresultspage.Good,keyword-richcontentiswhatfuelsboth searchengineresultsandPageMemberinteraction(Figure8-11).Additionally,interactionsonyour Pagehelpimproveyoursearchrankings,astheydemonstrateproofofthePagesqualitymuchlikea linkwouldoutsideinthenatural-searchworld.
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Figure 9-1. Inclusion of these words tends to correlate to an article being shared less than the average on Facebook.
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Figure 9-2. Talking about Twitter does not lead to an article being shared on Facebook.
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Meta Mentions
Thepracticeofmeta mentions,inwhichausertalksaboutTwitterinatweetoraboutFacebookon Facebookitself,producesmixedresults.ArticlesmentioningbothTwitterandFacebookdidprettywell onTwitter(Figure9-2).OnFacebook,however,articlesaboutTwitterdidverypoorly,butwritingabout Facebookitselfperformedmuchbetter.PeoplewhoareusingFacebookarelikelytohaveatleasta passinginterestinitandprobablyhavesomefriendswhoareinterestedaswell.ContentaboutormentioningFacebookgetssharedprettywellacrossthesiteitself. Again,keepinmindthatFacebookusersare,byandlarge,notsocialmediageeks,soavoidconsistentlywritingaboutsocialmediaitself.Tothatend,forcontentaboutFacebooktobesharedfarand wide,itisbesttokeepitsimpleandnotdivetoofarintotechnicalcomparisons.
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Figure 9-3. These words correlate with articles that were shared the most on Facebook.
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Figure 9-4. Articles with digits in their titles tend to be shared on Facebook more than articles without them.
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Digits
Whenyoudomakelists,usethedigitversionofthenumber.Foravarietyofreasons,digitsworkwellin almosteverycontextonline.Ourresearchhasshownthatstoriesthatincludenumbersintheirtitlestend tobesharedmorethanstoriesthatdont(Figure9-4).Usersarentsointerestedinreadinggeneralities; theywantspecifics,andtheresnotmuchmorespecificthananumber.Financialstoriesshouldinclude dollaramounts;environmentaldisasterstoriesshouldincludespecificfigureson,say,thegallonsofoil spilled;sportsstoriesshouldincludescores.Anytimeyoucanfigureoutawaytoincludearelevant digit,doit.Inaslightlycontradictoryfinding,wenoticedthatstoriesaboutnumbersingeneraltendedto besharedslightlyless.Thismetricincludesallnumbers,digitsornot.Mainstreamaudiencesdontwant toreadmanydata-heavyandintensivestories,butwhentheydoreadthesetypeofstories,theywant specifics.
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Figure 9-5. Various types of linguistic content affect how articles are shared on Facebook.
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Linguistic Content
UsingtwolinguisticanalysisalgorithmsdevelopedbyacademicresearcherstheRegressive Imagery Dictionary(RID)andLinguistic Inquiry and Word Count(LIWC)wewereabletoinvestigatecognitive andemotionalcontentoflinkssharedonFacebook(Figure9-5).Themostsharedtypeofcontentisnt verysurprisingwhenyourememberthatFacebookstartedwith(andisstillverypopularamong)college kids.Facebookuserslikesharingstoriesaboutsex.Ifyourefeelingdaring,goaheadandtrytowrite somethingscandalous.Formostmarketers,however,thisisntthemostpracticaladvice.
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Figure 9-6. Articles that have the word video in their titles tend to be shared on Facebook more than articles that dont.
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Video
Justliketheirofflinemainstreamcounterparts,manyFacebookuserslikewatchingvideos.Anotherbit ofresearchweconductedfoundthatarticlesthatannouncedtheycontainedavideoweresharedmore thanthosethatdidnt(Figure9-6).InanothertestamenttothedifferencesbetweentheFacebookand Twitteraudiences,thosesamestoriestendedtogetretweetedless.Thisislikelydueinparttothefact thatFacebookhasafeaturethatpullsthevideocontentofapostedlinkandembedsthevideo(whereit can)directlyintousersfeeds.Youcantakeadvantageofthisbyeitherproducingyourownvideosand uploadingthemtoYouTubeorbysimplyembeddingvideosrelatedtoyourarticle.
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Figure 9-7. Articles that use adverbs and adjectives heavily tend to be shared less on Facebook than articles that dont.
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parts of Speech
OneofthebestbooksaboutwritingisashorttomecalledThe Elements of Style,butmostpeopleknow itbyitstwoauthorsnames:StrunkandWhite.Itcontainsaseriesofrules,essays,andexhortations aboutpropergrammarandstyle,andteachesmanygreatlessons,especiallyabouttheimportanceof directandterselanguage.NowherearethoselessonsmorevaluablethanontheWeb.Browsingusers arebombardedwithfarmorearticlesthantheycouldeverhopetoread,andmostofthosestoriesare ladenwithsuperlativesandbombasticclaims.Notonlyareweoverloadedwithinformation,butwere becomingnumbtothemostshockingstuff.Theadjectiveandtheadverbarethemainweaponsabused bythespam-headlineandtabloid-styleblogwriters.Whenwelookedattheparts-of-speechcontent ofstoriessharedonFacebook,wefoundthatmodifiersinheadlinestendtobodepoorlyfortheperformanceofanarticle(Figure9-7).
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Figure 9-8. Articles that require a high level of education to read tend to be shared less on Facebook than simpler ones.
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Readability
Stayawayfromflowerylanguage.Theinformationyourepresentingshouldbestrongenoughtoshine throughasimpleanddirectheadline.Ofcourse,thereareexceptions:certainnichesonline,mostnotablyphotographyanddesign,havebeensuccessfulusingadjectiveslikestunningandamazing,but usethesewithcaution.Readinglevelscoresindicatethegradelevelneededbyareadertofullyunderstandapieceoftext.YoureprobablyfamiliarwithscoresliketheFlesch-KincaidreadinglevelembeddedinMicrosoftWord.Inpreviousresearch,wefoundthatretweetstendedtohavecomparable(or slightlyhigher)requiredreadingabilitiestounderstandthantweetsthatwerenotretweeted.Butwhen weusedreadabilitymetricstolookatstoriessharedonFacebook,wefoundaverydifferentsituation (Figure9-8). Asthecomplexityandeducationlevelrequiredtoreadastoryincreased,thenumberoftimesitwas sharedonFacebookdecreased.Onceyourarticleismuchtougherthangrade-schoollevel,youshould expectittobesharedfarfewertimesthanitwouldhavebeenhaditbeenwrittenatalowerlevel.Make yourheadlinesandarticlessimple,direct,andeasytoread.
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Figure 9-9. Facebook offers a variety of social plug-ins that allow you to integrate social features into your website.
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Social plug-ins
Facebookoffersanumberoffeatures,calledsocial plug-ins,thatyoucanaddtoyoursitetointegrate yourcontentwithFacebook(Figure9-9).ThethreemostusefularetheSharebutton,theLikebutton, andtheActivityFeed.
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Figure 9-10. This is the screen youll see when youre creating a Facebook Share button to include on your site.
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Customizing the Share button WhenyouaddtheSharebuttoncode,Facebookpresentsyouwithoptionstocustomizeit(Figure 9-10).TheAboveButtonandInlineWithButtonoptionsforpositioningtheincludedcounteressentially determinethesizeandorientationofthebutton.SelectingtodisplaythecountabovemeansthatShare willgenerallybeshownasalarger,verticalbutton,whereasselectinginlinemakesitmuchsmaller andhorizontal.Thelargercount-abovebuttonworksbestonsinglecontentPages,suchaspermalink Pagesonablog,whilethecount-inlinestyleisbestonPageswithmultiplepiecesofcontentdisplayed, asonabloghomepage.Conveniently,whenatleastonepersonhassharedyourcontent,thecountabovebuttonmatchesthesizeandthelayoutofthepopularTwitterbuttons,meaningthetwocan(and should)bedisplayedtogether.Thereisasmallissuewiththebuttonthatcausesittobedisplayedin amuchsmallerversionwhentherearenosharesyet.IfyouredisplayingboththeTweetandShare buttonstogether,theymaylookalittlefunnywhenyourcontentisfirstpublished,beforeanyonehas likedit.IfyouareimplementingtheSharebuttoninacontentmanagementsystem(likeablog),youll probablywanttopasscertainvaluestothebuttondynamically.Youdothisbyinputtingvaluesintothe JavaScriptcodethatispastedintoyoursite.
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Figure 9-11. The Facebook Like button is a powerful call to action to entice your visitors to share your content with their friends.
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Figure 9-12. Use this screen to create a Like button for your website.
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Like or Share?
TheLikebuttonincludesmanyofthebenefitsoftheSharebuttoninthatitallowsyourvisitorstopost yourcontenttoFacebookwithasingleclick,anditshowsreadershowmanypeoplehavealsolikedor sharedyourcontent.Therearesometrade-offsbetweenthetwobuttons,though.WhiletheLikebutton hasthelargeadvantageofshowingvisitorsexactlywhichoftheirfriendshavelikedyourcontent,itis muchsmallerthantheSharebutton,andtherefore,mayattractlessattention.
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Figure 9-13. The Facebook Recommendations box allows your visitors to see content from your site that has recently been shared on Facebook by their friends.
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Summary
WhenyouthinkofFacebookmarketing,youprobablythinkfirstaboutinteractingwithuserson Facebook.comitself.ThetruthisthatthereisalotofFacebookactivitythatoccursonexternalwebsites,soyoushouldspendsometimethinkingabouthowtointegrateyourcontentthatlivesoutsideof Facebookintothesocialnetworkitself. WevedonealotofresearchtohelpyoulearnhowtowriteforFacebook.Itsmostimportanttowrite simply,plainly,andforamainstreamaudience.Thisincludesboththetopicsyouchooseandthelanguageyouusetowriteaboutthem.Remember,writingforFacebookcanbeverydifferentthanwriting forthesocialmediaenthusiastsonTwitter. Tobettershareyourcontent,Facebookoffersarangeofsocialplug-insthatenableyoutoleverage certainfeaturesofFacebookfromyoursite.Theyresimpletointegrateandprovidegreatsocialvalueto yourreaders,sotakeadvantageofthem.
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ChApTeR 10
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Figure 10-1. Exclusive offers, information, or deals entice users to click Like and keep coming back to the Page. Overstock.coms Page offers special coupons just for Facebook Page members.
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Figure 10-2. Given that there are over 500 million users and 900 million things to interact with on Facebook, you need to post frequently to keep your page in the Newsfeed and compete with the big brand pages. (Chart courtesy of DBM/Scan and AdvertisingAge.com.)
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Figure 10-3. Vera Bradley uses several custom tabs and updates them frequently to match the companys ongoing promotions and seasonal styles.
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Timely Redesigns
Soyourepostingstatusupdatesatleastonceadayandkeepingasteadystreamofcontentflowingon yourWallandintheFacebookNewsfeed.ButwhatabouttherestofyourPage?Oneofthebestthings aboutFacebookishowmuchsimpleritcanbetoupdateatabonyourPagethanapageonyour website. YoushouldthinkaboutaFacebookPagerefreshatleastfourtimesayear.Youcould,forexample,tie thesechangestotheseasons,asfashionschangefortheweatherandmenusreflectin-seasonproduce(Figure10-3).Evenifyourbusinessisntastiedtoseasonalchangesassomeothers,youcanstill takeacuefromthechangingweatherandpreferredactivities.Orjustthinkofthesetransitionsasgentle reminderstoupdateyourPage.Ifyouhavealotgoingon,youcanevenupdateonceamonth. Yourstatusupdatesprovideadailydoseofnewcontent,butthesearejustsmallsnippetsofwhatyour Pagehastooffer.Revampingthelookandmessagingofyourtabsensuresthatevenyourlong-termPage membersstayloyal,whilealsopersuadingnewvisitorstoclickLikebasedonyourtimelylandingtab. Itsagoodideatohaveonemeetustypeoftabthatisfairlyconsistentinmessaging,butwitha changinglook.Therestofyourtabscanrotateinandouttofeaturecontests,promotions,events,and news.Playaroundwiththemandseewhatworks.
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Figure 10-4. Coach created a dedicated promotional tab for its Poppy Project.
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promotions
Apromotionis,bynature,alimited-timekindofthing.WhetheritsforaFacebookcontest,in-store event,oronlinesale,apromotionaltab(Figure10-4)isdesignedtobeupdatedfairlyfrequently.Shortterm,one-daypromotions(storeopeningsales,limited-quantityitems,orthatdaysrestaurantspecial) canbecoveredinastatusupdateortwo.Long-termpromotions,however,warranttheirowntab, uniquetothatspecificpromotion.Youcanalsocreateacatch-allpromotionstabandswapoutthe contentasneeded.
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Figure 10-5. HomeGoods keeps a close eye on its page, awarding contest winners promptly and providing updates and advice on how to vote in its contest.
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Monitoring
ThegoalofyourFacebookPageistoattractandengagefansofyourbrand,buildingacommunityfor Pagemembers.Whileincreasinginteractionbyencouragingquestionsandcommentsisasolidstrategy andanintegralpartofyourFacebookmarketingplan,italsogeneratesalotofusercontentandcommentarythatmustbemonitored(Figure10-5). ManyservicesofferautomatedFacebookmonitoring(aquickGooglesearchforsocialmediamonitoringprovidesahostoffreeandpaidtools),buttherereallyisnosubstituteforhumaninteraction. Thatmeansactualon-PageeyesfromsomeoneonyourteamwhocantakethepulseofthePageand respondtoquestions,complaints,andcompliments. YoudonotneedtobewatchingyourPageallday,butyoushouldcheckinatleastonce.Ifyourepostingfrequently,seewhatsgoingonthen.Keepinmindthatmostactionmightbeclusteredrightafter youpost,socheckbackshortlyafterthat,too.Ofcourse,ifyourerunningaFacebookpromotion,youll needtobepickingwinnersandansweringquestions. YoucantspendallyourtimerespondingtogenericloveyourPagecomments,butpickandchoose thepostswhereyoucanprovidehelpfulcommentary.Makeyourpresenceknown,butdontbeoverbearing.Encouragethecommunityaspect,andletitdomostofthetalking.
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Figure 10-6. As home to a popular brand with 1,659,232 members, Targets Facebook Page is a hotbed for spam comments and brand backlash.
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Moderation
MonitoringyourPageisonlyhalfthebattle,however,andwhenitcomestotime,morelikeonly25%. YoumustalsomoderateyourPageandmakejudgmentcallsonwhichtypesofpostsshouldbe deleted,respondedto,orleftalone(Figure10-6). Howyoudeterminewhatstaysandwhatgoesisuptoyou.SomePageadminsremoveallnegative feedback;othersleaveitandrespondtothecriticismasbesttheycan.Agoodruletofollowistoleave legitimatecomments,bothpositiveandnegative,foralltosee.Respondtobothkindsofposts,either withathanksforthekindwordmessageoranappropriateresponsetoquestionsandcomplaints. Yes,somepeopleliketousesocialmediajusttocomplain.Butitsusuallyprettyeasytopickoutthe oneswhojustwanttocausetroublefromtheoneswhowantyourhelpresolvinganissue.Iftheyaskfor asolution,trytogiveittothem,butdontfeeltiedtorespondingexclusivelythroughFacebook.Asimple messagelikewehearyouandwillgetbacktoyouwithhowwecanresolvethiscangoalongway. PostthisontheWalltoshowyouheardtheircries,thenmessagethemprivatelytogetcontactinformationandfixtheproblembehindthescenes. Bewareofspampostersaswell.YouwanttokeepyourWallopenforcommentsrelatedtoyourbrand andindustry,butkeepaneyeoutforpeoplepostinglinksthatpushtheirownagendaandremovethem beforetheygetinthewayofyourPagemembersexperience.
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Figure 10-7. Boutique fashion retailer Gilt Groupe does a great job of responding to member questions on merchandise and upcoming sales.
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Responding
Soyouvedeletedtheobviouslyspammyorboguscomments,butwhatabouttherealcustomerservice issues?Ifsomethingwentwrong,itstimetofixit. Youcananswergeneralquestionsfairlyquickly,andtheymightbenefitfrombothacommentonthe usersexistingpostaswellasageneralstatusupdate(Figure10-7).Youcancalloutthepersonwho askedthequestiontoshowyourelistening.SomethinglikeThanksforthereminder,Jason!Yes,its summer,andweveextendedourhours.Stopbyanytimefrom9a.m.to10p.m.Hopetoseeyou soon. Ifthequestionorcomplaintismorepersonal,youmayhavetodosomeresearchandprobablywantto followupoffline.Diplomatichonestyisusuallygoingtobeyourbestbethere.Readthecomplaint,then takeastepback.Ifyourenotfamiliarwiththesituation,talktosomeonewhois.Youwanttogetallthe factsbeforeyoupresentasolution.Inthemeantime,postamessagelettingtheposterknowyoure workingonit.Thensendheraprivatemessagetogetherpreferredcontactinfoandresolvetheissue overphoneoremail. DontforgettosaythanksforpraiseandcommentonrelevantarticlesorstoriespostedonthePage! Doingsocanhelpfosterasenseofcommunity.Takeamomenttorespondtohappiercomments,too.
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Figure 10-8. Facebook ads are often tied to specific landing pages, either on or off Facebook. When your landing page changes, so should your ad.
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Advertising
YourFacebookadsshouldbeupdatedatleastfourtimesayear,justlikeyourtabs.Facebookadvertising(Figure10-8)isperhapsoneofthemosttargetedadvertisingvehiclesonline,andyoucanplaywith millionsofpossibleparameters.Experimenttofindoutwhatworks,anddontbeafraidtoswitchthings uporrunsometests. Swappingoutadsiseveneasierthanupdatingatab,asyouhavelimitedspaceanddesigncapabilities. Butdontletthatfoolyou.Youshouldneverchangeanadjustbecauseitstime.Makesurethereisa strategyforeverychangeandthattheadvertisingunitisgearedtowardhelpingyoureachamarketing goal. Thesegoalscouldfluctuatethroughouttheyear,fromgainingPagememberstoincreasinginteraction toeventuallydrivingtraffictoyourwebsite.Facebookadsthatdriveoff-siteshouldbeclearaboutthe endlocation.YoumightevencreateaspecificlandingPageacknowledgingthatpeoplecamefrom Facebook.Thishelpseasetheirtransition,whilealsoaidingwithyourtrackingandallowingyoutoeasily deliveronFacebook-exclusivedeals. FacebookadsthatdirectuserstoyourFacebookPageshouldalwayshaveacorrespondinglanding tab.Sowhenyouchangeupyourtabs,itsprobablytimetoupdateyourads,too.Remember,keep yourcontentfresh.ThisappliestoanythingrelatedtoyourFacebookPage,evenads.
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Figure 10-9. Victorias Secret Pink is always ahead of the curve in Facebook marketing. Look to it for examples on content updates, redesigns, and member responses.
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Summary
Remember,yourFacebookPageisarepresentationofyourbrandorbusiness,justlikeyourwebsite, emailorprintmarketingmaterials,andphysicallocations.ItsgreattorecognizethatFacebookisan importantplacetobefrombothauserandsearchperspective,butjustshowingupisnotenough.You havetouseFacebookeffectively.Thatmeansloggingin,postingcontent,andrespondingtowhats happeningonyourPage(Figure10-9). Listentoyourmembers.Thankthem,respond,andfollowupofflinetoresolveissues.AutomatedPage monitoringcanhelpfillinthegaps,butyouneedarealpersontoreadthroughcommentsandassess whichonesrequireresponses.Onlyahumancantrulydetectthetoneofapost,andonlysomeone familiarwithyourbrandorbusinesswillknowhowtorespond. ThisisthenatureofFacebook,andifyoumustpostyourowncontentlessfrequentlyinorderto respondtopeople,sobeit.APagethatignoresitsmembersandjustshoutsitsownmessagesallday isnotusingFacebookcorrectly. Remember,sometimesrespondingdoesntmeanpostingacomment.Itcouldmeanlisteningandmakingachange.Ifeveryonepoststhattheyhateacertainmenuitem,dontjustsay,Thanksforthesuggestion.Changeit.Whereelsecanyougetsuchbrutallyhonestfeedback?Useittoyouradvantage.
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ChApTeR 11
Advertising on Facebook
FacebookhasapowerfuladvertisingplatformknownasFacebookAds.Lowclick-throughrates, sophisticatedtargetingoptions,andeasyintegrationwithapplicationsandPagesmakeitaninteresting toolformarketers.FacebookAdscanbeespeciallyhelpfulforkick-startingyourFacebookpresence, andsomeofthemostpowerfulsocialtargetingfeaturesbecomeusefulwhenyouhavealargenumber ofPagemembersorusers.Thischapterintroducestheplatformandwalksyouthroughcreatingand launchinganad.
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Figure 11-2. Selecting a good image is key to creating an attractive and attention-grabbing Facebook ad.
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Images
Facebookadsarecomposedofatitlelimitedto25characters,abodyof135orfewercharacters,and animageunder110pixelswideand80tall.Themostimportantpartistheimage;itwilldrawtheusers eyefirst(Figure11-2). TherearebigdifferencesbetweenimagesforFacebookadsandthoseforprintandwebads. Professional-lookingadsarentbestonthesocialnetwork.Facebookusersdontclickonalotofads whilethere;theyrenottryingtobemarketedtoandtheywontbeimpressedbyhighproductionvalues. Facebookusersarelookingatuser-generatedcontent,soyouradsshouldreflectthat.Stayawayfrom highlypolishedstockphotography.Theyrealsolookingatmostlypicturesofpeople,soyoulldowellto useimagesofrealpeopleinyourads.Rememberthevisualcontextsurroundingyourad.Facebookis mostlywhiteandblue,soexperimentwithphotographsincontrastingwarmcolors.Sometimes,louder tacticssuchasthree-dimensional-lookingbuttons,brightredborders,andlensflarescanwork,butuse thesesparinglyandtestfrequently.
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Figure 11-3. As you create your ad, Facebook shows you a preview of what it will look like when its displayed on the site.
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Copy
Thewrittenpartofyouradwillbeashorttitleandabody.Ifyouveeverwrittenpay-per-click(PPC)ads, youshouldfeelfairlyathomewiththemicrocopyformat.Thesecharacter-limitedadsneedtogettothe pointquicklyinaverysmallspace,whilemakinggooduseofkeywordsfortargeting.However,theyalso needtosoundnatural.Committee-craftedorjargonysalespitcheswillbealienonFacebook.Speak simplyandplainlywithverylittleflowerylanguage.Dontusetoomanyadjectivesoradverbs,anddont useSATvocabularywords. Youarewritingforamainstreamaudience.Beasdirectandspecificaspossible.Includeveryclearcalls toactionthattelltheuserexactlywhatyouwanthimtodo,andindicatethattheactioncanbecompletedquicklyandeasily.Usewordslikenowandtodaytotellusersthattheycangetstartedright away(Figure11-3).Ifuserscanexpecttogetresultsfromyourad,usespecificdigitstoletthemknow. Ifyouregoingtochargethemaprice,tellthemtheexactamount.
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Figure 11-4. The Facebook Ads platform allows you to target users by geography and demographic information.
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Targeting
ThemostpowerfulfeatureofFacebookAdsistheincredibletargetingitallowsyoutodo.Because usersprovidemoundsofdataaboutthemselves,youcanidentifyverytightgroupsofpeopletoadvertiseto.Takeadvantageofthisasmuchaspossible;yourcampaignsshouldincludelotsofhighly targetedadsbeingshowntosmallsubsetsofpeople.Facebookwillguideyouthroughdifferenttarget criteriaasyoucreateyourcampaign.
Location
GeographyisthefirstdimensionFacebookallowsyoutotargetwith(Figure11-4).FacebookAdsare veryusefulforlocalbusinessesevenglobalornationalbrandsthathavesomelocalconnections. Selectthesmallestlocalareayoupossiblycan.Createspecificadsfordifferentcitiesandtalktoreaders inthelocalparlance.Themoreyouknowabouttheplaceyoureadvertisingto,thebetter.
Demographics
Facebookwillalsoallowyoutochooseageandgenderspecifications.Again,trywritingseparateadsto appealtopeopleofdifferentsexesandages.MenandwomenuseFacebookdifferently,asdopeople invariousagegroups.Whileresearchingyourexactaudience,youlluncoverspecificpreferences,but youcanstartwithhintsfromtheadsyouseeontelevisionandfromthecoversofmagazinesaimedat differentgroups.Alsokeepinmindthatolderusersmaybemoreconsciousofprivacyissues,sodont askthemforalotofpersonalinformation.
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Figure 11-5. As you continue targeting your Facebook ad, including likes and interests, Facebook shows you the estimated number of users your ad will reach.
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Workplaces
Ifyouredoingbusiness-to-business(B2B)marketing,especiallytolargecompanies,theWorkplaces fieldcanbeagoldmine.Targetadstospecificenterprisestowhichyoudliketosellyourproductor services.
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Figure 11-6. Facebook Ads includes advanced targeting options such as social connections.
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Figure 11-7. After you create and target your ad, you need to put it into a campaign and set a budget.
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Budget
Thefirsttimeyoucreateanad,FacebookAdsrequiresyoutocreateanewcampaigntoputyourad into(Figure11-7)aswellasadailybudget.Thedailybudgetisthedollaramountyourewillingtopayevery daytorunyourads;onceyouhitthislimit,Facebookstopsrunningyouradsfortherestoftheday. Whenyourestartingout,assumeyouregoingtospendthisbudgeteverydayandselectanamount yourecomfortablespending.Itsagoodideatostartlowuntilyougetagoodideaoftheamountofreturn youwillseefromyourads.CheckoutChapter12tolearnhowtomeasurethevalueyouregetting.
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Figure 11-8. When setting your ad budget, you can also opt to pay per click.
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Bidding
ThebottomofFacebookAdscreationPagepresentsyouwithtwooptionsforadpricing: PayforClicks(CPC) PayforImpressions(CPM) Becausetheclick-throughrateonFacebookadstendstobeverylow,youllprobablywanttousea CPCmodel,meaningyoupayonlywhensomeoneactuallyclicksyourad.Underthismodel,youllget thousandsofimpressionswithoutpayingforthousandsofclicks,anditisgenerallythecheapestway topay.Bydefault,FacebooksuggestsabiddingmodelandpriceinwhatitcallsSimpleMode(Figure 11-8).Formostpurposes,thissuggestionworksfine.Letyouradrunforafewdaysorweeks.Ifyoure hittingyourbudgeteveryday,experimentwithloweringyourbidgradually.Youmaybeabletosqueeze afewmoreclicksoutofyourinvestmentthisway.
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Figure 11-9. Once your ad is running, Facebook shows you some basic information about impressions, clicks, and cost.
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Ad Stats
ClickingSubmitsendsyouradtoFacebookforaneditorialreview.Theadmustbeapprovedbeforeit startstorun.Thedecisionistypicallymadeprettyquickly.Onceyouradstartstorun,Facebookprovidessomesimplestatisticsaboutit,whichyoucanviewonthecampaignmanagementPage(http:// www.facebook.com/ads/manage/campaigns.php).Thepagedisplaysgraphsofimpressionsandclicks overtimeaswellasbiddingandbudgetinginformation(Figure11-9).Thisdataisgreatforkeepingan eyeonhowmuchyourespendingandforspottingopportunitiestoloweryourbids.IfyouresendingtraffictoaPageorapplication,checkouttheinsightsFacebookgivesyouaboutthepeopleusing those.Ifyouresendingpeopletoadifferentsite,lookintoyourownanalyticspackages.Again,besure toreadChapter12tolearnmoreaboutanalyticsandreturnonyourinvestment.
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Summary
Adscanhelpyoujump-startyourFacebookmarketingcampaigns.Takeadvantageoftheirhighlytargetednatureandbesuretomeasureandmonitortheirperformance. BecauseviewersarentlookingforadswhentheyreonFacebook,youllneedtobecreativewhen youredesigningtheimagesandwritingthecopyforyouradstoattractattention.Manycurrent Facebookadcampaignsareriddledwithtyposandbadgrammar,sotakecarewhencraftingcopy. Plentyofbrandslookforaneasysolutionandgetsloppywiththeirpromotions.Dontbeoneofthem. Investalittleextratimetocreateagoodadandanefficientbiddingplanyoullreachyourgoalsfaster intheend.
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ChApTeR 12
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Figure 12-1. Facebooks Insights platform allows you to see basic or detailed information about the performance of your Pages.
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Figure 12-2. Facebook Insights gives you extensive demographic, geographic, and activity-based data about users who have liked your Pages.
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Demographic Data
OnthedetaileduserInsightsPage,youcanalsodigintoverydetaileddemographicsdataaboutyour users,includingage,gender,location,andlanguagesspoken(Figure12-2).Thiskindofinformationcan beusefulforinformingyourFacebookmarketingeffortsaswellasyournon-Facebookcampaigns.
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Figure 12-3. Through Insights, you can see activity on your page on a per-post basis.
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Figure 12-4. Facebook Insights for applications gives you information about users of your application.
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Figure 12-5. Facebook Insights also gives you information about the performance of your application from a technical point of view.
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Figure 12-6. Facebooks Ads platform gives you basic information about the number of clicks your ads have received over time.
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Figure 12-7. You should select specific metrics to measure, as they affect your marketing campaigns. These are your key performance indicators (KPI).
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Figure 12-8. Using a third-party analytics system, you can track how many visitors your Facebook efforts have sent to your site and how well they performed.
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Figure 12-9. The most important metrics of any campaign are those that actually affect your bottom line.
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Tracking
Mostcommercialwebsitesalreadyhaveananalyticspackageinstalledtomonitoruseractivity.Google Analyticsisacommon,useful,andfreeexample.Ifyouhavegoalsalreadysetupinyouranalytics system(asyoushouldforanytypeofmarketing,notjustFacebook),youlllikelybeabletomeasure theperformanceoftrafficcomingfromFacebook.cominyourreferrersreports(Figure12-9).Watch theamountoftrafficFacebookissendingyoursiteaswellastime-on-siteandpage-views-per-visit metricsasintermediateKPIs.Ultimately,youllwanttopaythemostattentiontothenumberofdirect goalcompletions(sales,leads,andsoon)resultingfromFacebook.comtraffic.Analyticspackageslike GoogleAnalyticsalsoallowyoutousetrackingparameterstorefinethelevelofinformationyousee aboutFacebooktraffic.IfyoureusingaFacebookadtosendtraffictoyoursite,addtheseparameters totheendofthetargetURLtoseetheperformanceoftrafficcomingtoyoursitefromspecificads. Eachanalyticspackagehandlestrackingparametersdifferently,sothebestplacetolearnaboutthem isdirectlyfromyourpackageprovider(forexample,thereareanumberofbooksandwebsitesthatcan teachyouhowtouseparameterswithGoogleAnalytics).
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Summary
AsamarketeronFacebook,youretheretodobusinessandmakemoney,notjustmakefriends.Itis vitalthatyoutracktheperformanceofyoureffortsandhowtheyrelatetoyourcompanysbottomline. FacebookallowsyoutoeasilyanalyzetheactivityonyourPages,applications,andFacebookadswith itsInsightssystem.UseInsightsforbothhigh-levelanddetailedanalytics. IfyoureintegratingyourFacebookmarketingeffortswithyourexternalwebsite(asyoushouldbe),you canalsouseyournon-Facebookanalyticssystemtotracktheeffectivenessofthenewtrafficyoure drivingfromthesocialnetwork.
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Acknowledgments
Manythankstoourmoms,andtoBarbaraandJenn,ourlittlesisters.AlsotoBJ,GrammaandGrumpa, NanaandPa,TerriandJoeDevito,andtherestofourfamily.Thisbookwasalaboroflove,andyou eachhelpedinyourownway. From Dan:ThankstothewholeHubspotteam,butespecially:DavidGallant,BrianWhalley,KyleJames, KylePaice,KippBodnar,YoavShapiro,MikeVolpe,JeanneHopkins,BrianHalligan,andDharmeshShah. AlsotoMariSmith,GuyKawasaki,BrettTabke,andNancyDuartefortheirprofessionalwisdom. From Alison:Thankstomyfriends,onFacebookandinlife:LindsayWhite,KristinBurnham,Ashley Cannon,LauraSeddon,EricaPritchard,DebbieKeene,StephaniePiotrowski,JackyFontanella,Marla Napurano,TreasaLaw,CourtneyLivingston,JudiannMcNiff,DylciaMorell,DavidAbend,TinaMorelli, SteveBonda,TomMoran,AndreDocarmo,andFabricioBlasius.ToBrettTabkeandthewhole WebmasterWorldcrew,forlettingmetalkaboutFacebooktoanyonewhowilllisten.Andtoallmy fellowZipsterswhohelpmedowhatIloveeveryday,especiallyMandyDonovanDrake,BobBurns, StephanieShore,andRobWeisberg.
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Index
A
Aboutbox, 57 Activityfeeds, 201 Activitytab, 247 admins(administrators) ofGroups, 75,87,91 moderatingyour Page, 215 tipsandresourcesfor, 45 advertising adstats, 241 bidding, 239 budgetfor, 237 contentdesign audiencefor, 225 copy, 229 images, 227 FacebookAdanalytics AdvertisingPerformance reports, 255 overview, 255 Responder Demographics reports, 257 goalsandKPI(key performance indicators), 259 managingcontent for, 219 overview, 223,242 Pagepromotionand, 61 targeting Connectionsfields, 235 demographics, 231 likesandinterests, 233 location, 231 Relationshipand InterestedInfields, using, 233 Workplacesfield, 233 users,wheretosend, 225 AllFacebookblog, 65 analytics FacebookAdsplatform AdvertisingPerformance reports, 255 overview, 255 Responder Demographics reports, 257 goalsandKPI(key performance indicators), 259 Insightsfor applications, 251253 Insightsplatform Activityandtraffic, 247 demographicdata, 247 descriptionof, 245 likesandunlikes, 247 posts,feedbackon, 249 overview, 243,262 tracking, 261 ApplicationDirectory, 45, 131 apps(applications) artandcopy, 129 branding,extendingwith apps, 117119 customapps, 5153,63 customtab applications, 53 development, 125127 Insightsplatform descriptionof, 249 Walls,postingsto, 253 interaction,placesfor, 125 launchingand promoting, 129131 Notes, 47 overview, 111,132 preloaded, 51 Profileapps, 29 socialapps, 113115 SocialRSS, 47 StaticFBML(Facebook markuplanguage), 47 successful,characteristics of, 121 userapps, 147 viralmechanisms, 123 art,forapp development, 129 assets,designing, 135
265
B
biddingonadvertising costs, 239 Bioinformationfor Profiles, 17 blocklists, 27 blog,AllFacebook, 65 brandingonFacebook.See alsocustomizingPages custompatterns,themes, anddays, 141 extendingbrandswith apps, 117119 rulesforbrandsand businesses, 13 smallbrands, 5 userexpectations, 65 worldslargestbrands, 3 budgetforFacebook ads, 237 businessesonFacebook, Profilesfor, 13
C
calendars,content, 161 campaignsPageof FacebookAds interface, 255
canvasPages, 125 categoriesofPages, 43 comments,media, 63 complaints,handling, 215, 217 ConnectedTofield, 235 contactinformation,in Profiles, 23 content foradvertising audiencefor, 225 copy, 229 images, 227 changingandadding, importanceof, 59 contentcalendars, 161 cross-promotionof Activityfeeds, 201 digits,using, 183 theLikebutton, 197 199 linguisticcontent, 185 metamentions, 179 optimizing, 59 overview, 175,201 partsofspeech,whatto use, 189 positivity,thepower of, 185
readability, 191 Recommendations feeds, 201 theSharebutton, 193 195 socialplug-ins, 193 teachingmoments, trying, 185 topicsofinterest, 177, 181 video, 187 exclusiveoffers, 143 forPages,customization of, 139 postingtoGroups, 85 removingposts, 87 strategy,developing competitionwithother content, 153 contentcalendars, creating, 161 Eventcontent, 169 Facebookand SearchEngines, optimizing, 163 frequency, determining, 157, 207 goalsfor, establishing, 155
interactions, increasing, 171 keywords,placement of, 165 mediacontent, 169 overview, 151,155,173 patternsandtopics, setting, 159 Statusupdate content, 169 tabs,usingkeywords on, 167 tailoringtoFacebook audience, 7 copyforadvertising, 229 cross-promotionofcontent. Seecontent customizingPages assetsandmedia, designing, 137 content, 139 customapps, 5153 customtabapps, 53,137 exclusivestuff, 143 Notesapp, 47 overview, 45,133,149 Pageicons, 135 patternsanddays, branded, 141
266
SocialRSSapp, 47 StaticFBML(Facebook markuplanguage), 47 tabs,custom, 145 userapps, 147 customizingtheLike button, 197 customizingtheShare button, 195
E
educationinformationin Profiles, 19 educationlevelandwriting forFacebook, 191 emailaddresses, 23 emailannouncements,and Events, 95,101,105 engagement, encouraging, 59 etiquette,unofficial, 155 Events ascontentstrategy, 169 creating, 9799 Eventtab, 103 follow-up, 107 andGroups, incorporating, 83 invites,sending, 101 management,using Groups, 71 overview, 93,109 Pages,integrating with, 103 promoting, 105 whentouse, 95 exclusiveoffers, 143,205
F
Facebook AllFacebookblog, 65 ApplicationDirectory, 131 FacebooksFacebook Page, 7 numberofusers worldwide, 1,33,65 associalutility, 113 topPagesin, 39 FacebookAdsplatform. See alsoadvertising; See alsoanalytics AdvertisingPerformance reports, 255 campaignsPage, 255 overview, 255 ResponderDemographics reports, 257 fans(Pagemembers) exclusivedealsfor, 205 fanningaPagevs. liking, 21 fanPages, 125 largestbrands,success of, 3 FavoriteQuotations, 17
D
dailyactiveusers (DAUs), 251 dailycontent,patterns for, 159 days,custombranding for, 141 dealsforFans(Page members), 143,205 defaultlandingtab, 167 demographics targetingfor advertising, 231 userdataon, 247 developmentofapps, 125 127,132 digits,useofintitles, 183
FBML(FacebookMarkup Language)tabs, custom, 167 feedbackinformation, 249. See alsoanalytics follow-uptoEvents, 107 frictionandinertia,in learningapps, 121 friending vs.liking, 39 astwo-way connection, 31 friendlists andprivacysettings, 27 segmenting, 81 FriendsofConnections field, 235
G
gamesonFacebook, 119 geeksandnon-geeks, contentfor, 177 generalpromotions tab, 211 geography,targetingfor advertising, 231 GlobalGroups, 77 goalsforadvertising, 259. See alsoanalytics
267
goalsforcontent strategy, 155 GoogleAnalytics, 261 Groups creating fields,fillingout, 79 globalaccessto, 77 grammar,punctuation, andspelling, 79 Keywords, 79 whentocreate, 75,77, 89 eventmanagement, 71 managing adminduties, 81,91 content,posting, 85,87 content,removing, 87 Events, incorporating, 83 friendlists, segmenting, 83 friends, 81 links,photos,and videos, 85 messages,sending, 83 andmonitoring, 87 ProfilesorPages admin, 81
I
icons,Page, 135 images.Seephotos IMscreennames, 23 inboxupdates, 63 incentiveoffers, 61 inertiaandfriction,in learningapps, 121 infoboxes,keyword placementin, 165 information,Profile, 17 Infotab, 15,49,57 Insightsplatform Activityandtraffic, 247 forapplications, 251253 demographicdata, 247 Facebookposts,feedback on, 249 likesandunlikes, 247 overview, 243245 interactivity customapplications, 63 customtabapps, 53 customuserapps, 53
andEvents, 97 inboxupdates, 63 interactionsPage, feedbackinformation on, 249 Mediacomments, 63 personal,inGroups, 75 SEOandcontent strategy, 171 statisticson.Seeanalytics Wallposts, 63 InterestedInfield, 233 InterestsandLikes,in Profiles, 21 invitationsonFacebook. SeeEvents
L
landingtabreveals, 205 launchingnewapps, 129 131 LikesandInterests inProfiles, 21 targetingfor advertising, 233 liking vs.fanningaPage, 21 vs.friending, 39 Likebutton, 197199 LikesinuserProfiles, 21 userdataon, 247 linguisticcontenton Facebook, 185 links toEvents, 105 forFacebook-only offers, 205 postinginGroups, 85 locations,targetingfor advertising, 231 logos forapps, 131 Pageiconsas, 135
J
jobexperience,in Profiles, 19
K
keywords inGroupdescriptions, 79 Pages,keywordlocations for, 165 KPI(keyperformance indicators), 259
268
M
managementofPages advertising, 219 moderation, 215 monitoring, 213 overview, 203,221 Pagemembers,exclusive dealsfor, 205 Promotionstab, 211 redesigningPages, 209 respondingto customers, 217 statusupdates,frequency of, 207 marketingonFacebook. See alsoanalytics vs.emailmarketing, 23 Pagesvs.Profiles, 3941 userexpectations, 65 viralmarketing appfeaturesand, 123 contagiousness, 113 success,learning from, 117 mascots,friendingvs. liking, 39 media designing, 135
mediacomments, 63 newsmedia,impactof Facebookon, 3 postingonPages, 169 messaginginGroups, 71, 83 metamentionsas content, 179 moderatingyourFacebook Page, 215 monitoringyourFacebook Page, 213 monthlyactiveusers (MAUs), 251
O
offersforFans(Page members), 143,205 optimizationofPages contentstrategy, 59 search,Facebook, 55 search,organic, 55 tipsfor, 57 originsofFacebook, 1
P
Pages appsfor, 29,47,5153 creating, 45 customizing assetsandmedia, designing, 137 content, 139 customapps, 5153 customtabapps, 53 exclusivestuff, 143 Notesapp, 47 overview, 45,133,149 Pageicons, 135 patternsanddays, branded, 141 SocialRSSapp, 47
N
newsandstorieson Facebook, 181 Newsfeed,Facebook, 135, 173,207 newspapercirculationinthe US, 3 NotConnectedTo field, 235 Notesapp, 47 numbers,useofin titles, 183
StaticFBML (Facebookmarkup language), 47 tabs,custom, 145 userapps, 147 Eventinvitesand, 101, 103 Eventtab, 103 vs.Groups, 6971,89 interactions,user customapplications, 63 inboxupdates, 63 mediacomments, 63 Wallposts, 63 keywordlocationsin, 165 managementof. Seemanagementof Pages moderating, 215 monitoring, 213 optimization contentstrategyfor, 59 goalsandskillsfor, 55 search,Facebook, 55 search,organic, 55 tipsfor, 57 overview, 35 posting,frequency of, 157
269
Pages(continued) andProfilesfor businesses, 13,21 vs.Profiles, differences, 3941 promotion incentiveoffers, 61 organicpromotion, 61 paidadvertising, 59 redesigns,timely, 209 respondingtoposts, 217 typesofPages, 43 partsofspeech,inwriting forFacebook, 189 patterns,custom, 141 patternsforposting content, 159 photos foradvertising, 227 forEvents, 99,107 photoapps, 147 Photostab, 15,49 postinginGroups, 85 postingonPages, 169 posts contentcalendars and, 161 content,fittingto Facebookmodel, 7
encouragingposting,in Groups, 87 Events, 103 frequencyof, 157,207 removing,from Groups, 87 Wallposts,andPage interaction, 63 privacysettings forcontact information, 23 customizationof, 25 vs.opennesson Facebook, 11 Profiles forbusiness, 13 contactinformation, 23 andEventinvites, 101 likesandinterests, 21 overview, 911,33 vs.Pages, differences, 3941 parentProfiles, 81 privacysettings, 25 Profileapplications, 29 Profileboxes, 125 Profileinteractions, 31 Profiletabs, 13,15 rulesfor, 37
settingup, 17 workandeducation, 19 promotion apps,new, 129131 Events, 105 generalpromotions tab, 211 Pages incentiveoffers, 61 organicpromotion, 61 paidadvertising, 61 promocodesfor Facebook-only offers, 205 uniquepromotion tab, 211 publicfigures,Pages for, 3941
recruiting,job, 19 Relationshipfield, 233 Report/Blockprivacy setting, 27 respondingtoquestions andcomments, 217 ROI(returnon investment), 55.See alsoanalytics
S
schools,enteringin Profile, 19 search content,importance of, 169 forEvents, 97 Facebooksearch, 55 interactivityand, 171 keywordplacement, 165 167 optimizingcontent for, 163 organicsearch, 55 seasonalPage redesigns, 209 self-helptopicson Facebook, 181
Q
questions,responding to, 217 Quotations,Favorite, 17
R
readability,inwritingfor Facebook, 191 Recommendations feed, 201
270
sharingarticleson Facebook.See alsowritingfor Facebook Likebutton, 195197 readabilityandeducation level, 191 Sharebutton, 193195 SimpleMode(bidding model), 239 socialappsandsocial behaviors, 113115 socialplug-ins Activityand Recommendations feeds, 201 Likebutton, 195197 Sharebutton, 193195 SocialRSSapp, 47 spamposters, 215 StaticFBML(Facebook markuplanguage), 47 statistics,advertising, 241. See alsoanalytics statusupdates, 169,207 strategyforcontent. Seecontent,strategy SuperWallapp, 121
T
tabs assetsandmedia, designing, 137 customFBMLtabs, 167 customtabapps, 53, 137,145 defaultlandingtab, 167 infotab, 167 keywordsin,using, 167 landingtabreveals, 205 vs.Pages, 35 promotionstab, 211 redesigningand rotating, 209 typesof, 15,49 targetedadvertising Connectionsfields, 235 demographics, 231 likesandinterests, 233 location, 231 Relationshipand InterestedIn fields, 233 Workplacesfield, 233 text forappdevelopment, 129 copyforadvertising, 229
thank-younotes, 107 themes,custom, 141 time-sensitiveinitiatives, usingGroups, 75,91 timingofposting, 157, 207 topicsforcontent commontopics, 159 educationaland constructive content, 185 leastsharedwords, 177 metamentions, 179 mostsharedwords, 181 positivecontent, 185 tracking.See alsoanalytics analytics, 261 usingexclusive offers, 205 trafficlevelson Facebook, 1,247 Twitter FacebookEvents and, 105 writingforvs.writingfor Facebook, 177
U
uniquepromotion tab, 211 unlikesofyourPages causesof, 95 userdataon, 247 updatesonEvents, 103 updates,status. Seestatusupdates URLselection, 57,165 users customuserapps, 53 dataon.Seeanalytics diversityof, 1 individualsvs. businesses, 13 MAUs(monthly activeusers)and DAUs(dailyactive users), 251 userapps, 147 wheretosend, 225
V
videos andEventfollowup, 107 popularityof, 187 postinginGroups, 85
271
viralmarketing.See alsomarketingon Facebook appfeaturesand, 123 contagiousness, 113 success,learning from, 117
W
Walltab descriptionof, 15,49 postingEventson, 103 posts, 63 workinformation,in Profiles, 19
Workplacesfield, 233 writingforFacebook.See alsotopicsforcontent digits,makinguseof, 183 educationaland constructive content, 185 linguisticcontent, 185
overview, 202 partsofspeech,use of, 189 positivity,thepower of, 185 readability, 191
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