facebook: is it only a social tool?

by Danielle Sheerin

hello! I’m Danielle Sheerin

i’m a social media consultant at

nixonmcinnes

we help connect brands with people through the social web

nixonmcInnes is a leading social media agency

specialising in using the very latest in social media

innovation to help businesses engage better with their

customers

the UK’s largest dedicated team of social media

specialists: founded in 2000

thought leaders: instigators of ‘Measurement Camp’

a little bit of social proof :)

let’s talk facebook

hands up who(

has a facebook profile?

has used facebook in the last week?

works for a company with a facebook presence?

can measure (and confidently explain) the value?

let’s start with what it is and why it is important

facebook is the wildly popular, free social networking site that combines the best of blogs, online forums and groups, photosharing, clever applications and interaction among friends

facebook is about connecting and sharing – it is viral

facebook started as student site and its focus remains connecting groups and staying in touch.

because of this it retains the link between the individual and their profile.

this provides an authenticity – you always know who you are talking to in facebook.

350 million active users worldwide, 19m in the UK

some stats (wow! not yawn()

and its not just teens!

Source: clickymedia.co.uk

25 mins per day

Source: Comscore Dec 2008 & Facebook Internal Data, Feb 2009

2 visits per day 50% return daily

Daily

facebook has strong user engagement

facebook is part of the daily routine for users

what are people doing?

Source: North American Technographics Media and Marketing Online Survey, Q3 2007

“The power to define and control a brand is shifting from corporations and institutions to individuals and communities”

Connect

Share

Open

brands with mass & niche audiences

new content & info with friends

products up to a conversation on Facebook

what are the opportunities for businesses?

facebook elements

profiles – your personal front to the world

groups – your special interest front to the world

pages – your business front to the world

ads – your sales front to the world

facebook profiles

personal front to the world

make friends and build connections

this is not where you conduct business!

use lists to organise your contacts

feed your wall from other sources

feed your wall from other sources

post stories relevant to your industry

post links to interesting content

use facebook lists to organise your contacts

facebook groups

special interest front to the world

quick and easy to set up

can foster a strong sense of community

join and participate in others’ groups

create groups and invite your friends

things you can do with a facebook group

campaigns

consultations

events

employee hubs

promotions

setting up a facebook group

make sure anyone can join

fill in all fields

include keywords for easier search

incorporate events

send messages

Start here

how to create a GREAT facebook group

setup your group correctly

remember your audience

create engaging content

make new friends

update your content and engage with your members

ensure your group has a clear purpose

facebook pages

business front to the world

scaleable – can be basic or customised

can be used to present a range of messaging

built in insight tools allow measurement and tracking

promote your page with your marketing materials

things you can do with a facebook page

showcase work

industry comment and insight

company newsroom

recruitment

customer interaction

just about anything else you want!

anatomy of a Facebook page

anyone can become a fan

company logo and basic info

controllable wall where you can your fans can post content

customisable tabs for photos, events, videos or build your own functionality

example of a customised tab

setting up a facebook page

use your own profile to create it

add as much company info as possible

add some content to your page before you publish it

enhance your page with apps

Start here

enhance your page with apps

http://mashable.com/2009/01/22/business-facebook-apps/

how to create a GREAT facebook page

remember your audience

be creative

promote your page

maintain and enhance your page

check your analytics

check your analytics

Facebook insights

facebook is about connecting and sharing – it is viral

viral content

facebook is viral

but creating genuinely viral content is challenging

good virals are often clever/amusing/controversial but the audience should always be at the heart

remember the goal of your viral!

breast cancer awareness bra colour status updates viral

rage against the machine for Xmas no#1 viral

facebook ads

sales front to the world

can be targeted to your audience

can be used to promote a page, events or offline service

Use fan ads to recruit new fans

use video ads to promote work and elicit comment

use poll ads to generate conversation

creating a facebook ad

make every word count

explain the value in the title

decide where your ad sends people

target your ad to your audience

test and tweak your ads

Start here

decide your budget

so, to summarise, facebook can help your business with(

networking

intelligence

brand awareness

promotions

creating a showcase

pr

lead generation

consultations

recruitment

Internal comms

customer service

thought-leadership

sales

market research

that’s all very well, but how do we know if its working?

how many fans/group members do you have? Is it growing?

how engaged are they?

are you reaching the right audience?

how does this relate to offline activity?

facebook metrics

finally, some dos and don’ts

be authentic and human

post content regularly - who is responsible?

engage with your contacts (and I mean properly!)

measure your success

do

be patient!

forget your audience

lose sight of your objective

spam your audience

don’t

lose momentum

find out more(

www.nixonmcinnes.co.uk