Harnessing the Power of Facebook

[Maria Elena Duron]

Earlier today, during our weekly #brandchat conversation on Twitter. We began a conversation that could of kept going about Facebook and utilizing it for business and businesses who are no requiring their employees to have Facebook pages.

Here's some of the just of the conversation. And, in a few days, check into the recap at http://www.brandchat.info to get the rest of the conversation!

• Facebook now has 125 million users and Twitter has 7 million - both are quickly growing in size
• At last week's SXSW Social Media panel that included Brian Solis and Chris Brogan - with Facebook changing it's format and focusing on "what are you thinking" that it might be a great place for community building with customers and focus groups
• Pearson's requires their employees to set up a Facebook page
• What success and or failures have you seen with businesses on Facebook?

We would like to continue the conversation here and also focus on the most important compelling question that we have relating to the HUMAN FACTOR -what are the best ways you have seen or you have used to promote your personal brand or your company's brand on Facebook?

[David Sandusky]

That was a great #brandchat. Great job! I was chatting with a friend today and learned his wife does voice over and some videos for Home Depot and the new Home Depot Channel on YouTube.

I checked Facebook to see what Home Depot was up to there. Turns out there are a number of fan pages for both Home Depot and HomeDepot. Looks like a potential brand control problem.

How should a company deal with multiple pages?

[Maria Elena Duron]

According to this article, 3.3 million Facebook users became fans of Coca-Cola - a Facebook page not officially designed or administered by Coca-Cola.

From the article written by thekbuzz -
"Perhaps surprisingly, Coca-Cola proposed a slightly different approach: the page would remain more or less the same, with the original creators continuing on as administrators - but sharing this access with some key Coca-Cola executives. Rather than lay claim to the page and use it to blast its fans weekly with Coca-Cola news and blatant advertising promotions, Coca-Cola decided to allow the page to be what the fans wanted it to be: an expression of their love for Coke. Consequently, the Facebook profile works really well with Coca-Cola's worldly image as a classic product enjoyed all around the world, and aside from multi-lingual wall posts from adoring fans from all over, they've also created a few albums reposting images published by their fans to show off their fanbase and coincidentally show them their appreciation."

And, here's the link to the Advertising Age article that highlights this brilliant brand move.

Amazing, right?!

[David Sandusky]

a Facebook page not officially designed or administered by Coca-Cola.

From the article written by thekbuzz -
"Perhaps surprisingly, Coca-Cola proposed a slightly different approach: the page would remain more or less the same, with the original creators continuing on as administrators - but sharing this access with some key Coca-Cola executives. Rather than lay claim to the page and use it to blast its fans weekly with Coca-Cola news and blatant advertising promotions, Coca-Cola decided to allow the page to be what the fans wanted it to be: an expression of their love for Coke. Consequently, the Facebook profile works really well with Coca-Cola's worldly image as a classic product enjoyed all around the world, and aside from multi-lingual wall posts from adoring fans from all over, they've also created a few albums reposting images published by their fans to show off their fanbase and coincidentally show them their appreciation."

The best response possible to my comment YOU Rock! There is still the issue of other pages where a who knows what can happen. The good news is a brand fan evangelist will likely be a winning voice

[Maria Elena Duron]

I was floored by what Coca-Cola did! And, you're right, David. What happens if someone runs away with it? And, what if that someone is an employee? Coca-Cola was a WOW! We don't know what Home Depot will do? What else has been seen out there?

So...
anxious to hear others' thoughts and wisdom too on what are the best ways you have seen or you have used to promote your personal brand or your company's brand on Facebook?

[Neil McKenzie]

With the meteoric rise of Facebook popularity, this form of communication presents many opportunities and risks for corporations wishing to tap into a huge population of people. Many companies are struggling with how to take advantage of this phenomenon, as are their advertising and public relations advisors.

I think a definition of what Facebook is really about can lead to different strategies, each with different results. I have heard of Facebook being referred to as Social Media or Social Networking,

The camp that looks at Facebook as Social Media sees is as just another advertising or PR channel. Some even refer to it as “free advertising” where it is just a place to shout out endless messages to promote their product or service. In an age where consumers are being bombarded with advertising messages and tuning out more and more of them, this strategy may not be the best.

Many who view Facebook as a Social Networking vehicle see it as an opportunity to attract fans or followers and as a place to interact. How they execute this interaction is key to their success or failure in using Facebook.

Before a company creates its own presence on Facebook I would ask the following questions:

- Is your company and its culture “squeaky clean”?
- Is your product or service controversial?
- Are there forces in the economy and environment that are likely to affect you positively or negatively?
- Is there support from top management or are they just jumping on the bandwagon?
- Are you willing to engage your online community?
- Are you willing to hear things that you may not want to hear?
- Are you willing to provide the necessary resources to develop an effective Facebook presence?

I think that if you asked these questions to Coca Cola and AIG that you would have two different answers on whether to pursue a corporate Facebook presence.

[David Sandusky]

Before a company creates its own presence on Facebook I would ask the following questions:

- Is your company and its culture “squeaky clean”?
- Is your product or service controversial?
- Are there forces in the economy and environment that are likely to affect you positively or negatively?
- Is there support from top management or are they just jumping on the bandwagon?
- Are you willing to engage your online community?
- Are you willing to hear things that you may not want to hear?
- Are you willing to provide the necessary resources to develop an effective Facebook presence?

Excellent questions for any company to consider. With a little wordsmithing, any person as the individual brand considers how to share vs. market themselves towards what is viral worthy.

[Neil McKenzie]

"Viral worthy" is the KEY! How to be viral worthy is the hard part. If you have an interesting "story" is that viral worthy? Maybe how your story is written is what makes it viral worthy? It would be interesting to hear Alecia Hucks comments on this.

[KristenClarkson]

"Viral worthy" is the KEY! How to be viral worthy is the hard part.

What becomes viral online is a popularity contest. Popular companies spread on facebook because it is cool to associate with them. Popular videos spread because someone is hot, silly or outrageous. Or cute.

I see pages on facebook being the best collection of demographic data for a company like Coke. Who fans? That is important do you think?

[Maria Elena Duron]

Exactly! Those demographics + psychographics of who your fan base is, is so valuable.

At SXSW, Brian Solis and Chris Brogan, both shared that Facebook might be the place that companies look to for customer communities and focus groups. Which makes sense- be where the people are to create or nurture your community and to engage in conversation with them as opposed to broadcasting what YOU want to talk about or what YOU want them to talk about.

Yet, Facebook and Twitter are so new to brands how to engage it and utilize the best functions it provides still remains a mystery to some.

You are spot on about the data. What other thoughts have you heard, or thought yourself or best practices have you seen on Facebook?