Facebook contests are created to drive traffic to your page, increase engagement, reward your fans and, ultimately, skyrocket your page’s fan count. But as many failed contest attempts will attest to, that goal is much easier said than done.
At ShortStack, we provide a platform to build, install and carry out these contests. But the key thing to remember is that we cannot market your contest. And as we’ve said repeatedly, you cannot “set it and forget it” and expect your contest to work.
We decided to look at one brand using our platform that has seen enormous success with its sweepstakes and let it teach a thing or two about effectively conducting a Facebook contest.
Oxygenics is a Reno, Nev., company that creates and distributes eco-friendly shower heads to retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond and The Sharper Image. It recently decided to rapidly increase its Facebook fan count and use a contest to do so. (read more…)
We’ve spent a lot of time on this blog talking about the importance of developing a social media strategy. We’ve devoted countless posts to the best tactics. We’ve given you hundreds of examples of how companies align their social presence with their brand.
But there’s something missing. Even if you have an ironclad strategy, impeccable tactics and sterling branding, you can still fall flat in the social media arena. There is still one more thing you need to learn.
Are you ready for the final lesson? Is your mind prepared and your spirit pure? Can you snatch the pebble from my hand? Good. Because the final step to social media mastery (at the individual level, anyway) doesn’t come from a business-school textbook, a Fortune 500 CEO or a mountain of data. It comes from Bruce Lee.
When one has reached maturity in the art, one will have a formless form. (read more…)
The accompanying infographic — based on statistics cited in our book “Marketing in the Round” — illustrates the fractured world of communication in corporate America. The corporate-marketing world still operates in silos of public relations, advertising, and interactive and direct marketing. As the newest discipline in the fold, social media accentuate this continuing situation.
Most chief marketing officers acknowledge social media’s importance but attempt isolated social media campaigns on Facebook and Twitter. Many marketers find social media ineffective and frustrate themselves with unintegrated attempts at making them work. Integrating social into the larger mix of marketing to achieve overarching corporate objectives can yield results.
We have seen many examples of social media’s independent success, the building of groundswells of loyal customers. Consider the niche marketing of Etsy, the restoration of Dell’s brand and the rise of media mogul Arianna Huffington.
While incredibly impressive, companies seek to copycat them. Instead, the marketing round demonstrates how they should integrate social into the larger mix. (read more…)
Since 2010, Foursquare has celebrated 4sqDay on April 16, because 16 is 4 squared, and April is the fourth month of the Gregorian calendar. As part of 4sqDay, companies worldwide promote Foursquare by giving additional discounts on top of what they already give to Foursquare users. For example, two years ago, McDonald’s ran a contest for Foursquare users April 16. Each person who used Foursquare and bought food had a chance to win a $5 or $10 gift card. The company said the promotion caused foot traffic to increase 33% that day. In this “Future of Engagement” episode, host Murray Newlands analyzes Foursquare’s social media marketing campaign and gives tips that businesses and marketers can use to market on social networks.
What can brands learn?
- Make customers feel appreciated.
- Build a community of fans — they’ll be able promote your product for you.
- Especially if your product has uses online and offline, the way Foursquare does.
Much to my chagrin, behavioral experts would consider me an introvert. For a PR professional, it’s almost a death knell. For a creative type, however, it can be a blessing. And for someone who dabbles in the digital space, it could be a perfect match.
Lucky for me, I’m all of the above.
Let’s get something straight: An introvert isn’t necessarily a shrinking violet. Technically, an introvert is someone who finds crowds draining and who is energized by solitude.
Research has revealed that introverts not only are highly creative, they also can be extremely effective leaders. What do Albert Einstein, Warren Buffet, Charles Darwin, Mahatma Gandhi, Al Gore, Sir Isaac Newton and Rosa Parks have in common? You guessed it. They’re all introverts.
So what’s all this got to do with social media? With a little creativity and a lot of savvy, introverts can use social media to their advantage as a public relations tool. (read more…)
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