Wednesday, November 16, 2011

3 Under Utilised "Direct Marketing" Strategies on Facebook

In many of the social media blogs I have read over the years there is a very strong focus on quality posting, making sure you provide value to your audience and keep them interested. By now, that should go without saying! Even outside social media, you have to be interesting if you want to keep your audience. By the way your audience will grow even faster if you are interested in them, which is often an easier thing to do than find something of high value to say, day in day out.

But from a business perspective you would be forgiven for being frustrated at the limitations of just posting on your wall, simply because it is in no way guaranteed that your fans will see it. Sure you have a good chance, but only if your fans go to their newsfeed regularly.

For a more direct, perceived as "one on one" communication tools on Facebook, you can however use some readily available features, which will allow you to communicate in the "notifications" box, automatically increasing your chances of being seen. Here are 2 options that will land in the notifications, and one option that will land directly in clients' email boxes.

1) Write a "note" to your friends or your fans

That can be written in a personalized style. You can even attach a picture and select who you send from your friends lists. If you are sending a note to your fans from your fan page then all you have to do is push "publish" at the bottom and all your fans will see it in their notifications box, the first place you go to even before your news-feed.

2) Organise an event

Events can be for anything, a sale, a VIP invitation, telling people about a new item, product or course that you have. Even inviting people to "Like" your page could be an event. The great thing is that it goes into all your invited fans' and friends' "notifications" box. Remember with an event you can have several bites at the marketing cherry by simply posting some updates to the event, which will show like an advert on the top right hand side of your fans' Facebook.

3) Use the "Tell your fans" feature in the "Resources" of your Fan Page

This great but little known technique allows you to create a CSV file from your excel or outlook database and send them a "Facebook" message inviting them to join your fan page. Just go to Apps and choose "Tell your fans". Facebook will even tell you step by step how to create a CSV file from your own database. When you know that facebook messages get at least a 20% higher open rate you know this is a great way to grow your following, and once more by DIRECT, one on one communication through Facebook

So Just go ahead and experiment, make sure that your events and posts are of high perceived value...but that goes without saying doesn't it?

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