Facebook contests have new rules. But these rules don’t apply to your email marketing initiatives if your promotion is administered outside of the Facebook application.
Above is a snapshot from a recent email sent by Lands’ End. I like that this contest has an expiration date clearly listed, and that current fans are already entered into the contest. But then I went to the Fan page and it was filled with 200K+ active and loyal fans, compliments, complaints, and even customer service responses. Good job Lands’ End! (BTW: I’ve never shopped here before.)
This technique obviously boosted their fan base considerably. What I didn’t see, other than the monetary motivation, is what ‘fanning’ the page will do for me long-term?
When creating your own page, determine what it is that you will be providing to your fans. Are you focused on the short-lived monetary rewards, or the long-term relationship building? If using a promotion, such as this, please don’t forget to include a long-term strategy for continued fan engagement.
Note: I haven’t seen a list of the winners posted on the Fan Page yet… this would be a great way to develop trust.
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You know Charity, I’ve been asking myself that same question all through the holiday season when I have seen the “Fan us for a chance to win…” contests. I see the value in the exposure to potential new clients or customers, but what I fail to see, like you, is the long term pay off here. People will do a lot for “free” stuff. If all you ask for is a single mouse click, then you’re going to get 3 times as many people to click that mouse, whether they want what you have to offer or not.
It’s not always about being the biggest guy out there. Sometimes we have to realize that it’s more about being the biggest guy with the people who care the most about us. I don’t care so much about followers as I do about people getting my message. Hits are great, but not if they don’t stick around and read something.
You can buy web traffic, but all your buying is traffic, which is noisy, polluting, and a pain in the butt for your customer who’s stuck between the four people who are there clicking for free stuff.
Nice Post, Charity!
Thanks Heather! I like what you said “You can buy web traffic, but all your buying is traffic,”
I’d like to add to that: …and on Facebook, traffic doesn’t equate to success.
Nice post, Charity. Agree 100% with your point about not focusing on short-term monetary rewards with social media. Disclosure: I work for Lands’ End in the Internet Marketing department. While this campaign did boost our fan count, we’re not overly focused on the numbers. Instead, we work to keep both long-time fans and those new to the brand active in talking about Lands’ End. We do share some exclusive offers on FB (ie: free shipping for fans) and do periodic product giveaways; however, some of the posts that garner the most interaction are actually those where we share the personality behind the brand (like pics our employees snapped of a recent snowstorm in Wisconsin). We also try to engage our fans in some of our community initiatives like our Big Warm-Up nationwide coat drive. As you state, those are the things that help build long-term relationships which are much more valuable to both the “fan” and the brand than any short-term sales could ever be.
Eric,
You’re doing a GREAT job! I look forward to watching what Lands’ End does in the future.