In a matter of weeks, Facebook became much more than a place where old high school friends kept in touch, talking about things they "like" with one another. The introduction of Facebook's Community Pages combined with the social media site's launch earlier this year of Places, a location-based service, has put the relevancy and longevity of other outlets like Foursquare and Gowalla into question seemingly overnight.
Moreover, Facebook's current testing of ratings and reviews functionality in its ads changes the playing field for the likes of Yelp and other similar sites. In short, Facebook has become a bona fide, real-time, lead generation and customer feedback tool for companies around the world — and those right here in its own backyard.
Organizations savvy and flexible enough to capitalize on this trend have much to gain in terms of increased brand equity, lead generation and customer loyalty, but only if they take certain steps to ensure that it happens. Here are some examples:
Posting boring pictures or "hey guys" status updates won't cut it anymore. Simply blasting out the latest company updates won't increase followers or drive community engagement. While this may not be a new revelation, organizations now need to take it a step further by crafting their Facebook status updates and page content in such a way as to invite conversation among various target groups.
A trendy retail clothing chain, for example, can offer its fans a 5 percent discount if they provide reviews and feedback for a particular outlet in downtown Denver. Such promotions can be not only fruitful in terms of revenue, but also packed with real-time trend data that companies can use for similar initiatives in other markets.
Pay closer attention to feedback. Facebook's upcoming ratings and reviews feature will become a staple on the social media site in short order. Using the Denver clothing outlet as an example, people can now tell their friends to what degree they "like" the store, going so far as to qualify that on a rating scale and comment section. The expanded physical dimensions of Facebook's newest tentacles will create powerful waves online — shifting the focus from attitude
to action.
Control the message even less. As if marketers weren't having enough trouble controlling their messaging, Facebook just made its users even more powerful with these few features. By offering far greater opportunities for folks to discuss, review, comment and complain about brands away from their corporate websites, Facebook has enabled consumers to take over a brand.
Organizations need to join in these conversations in a more frequent and personal manner than ever before, and avoid the perception of broadcasting. Listening and responding to questions and comments in a timely fashion is critical in today's environment. Above all else, companies should respect consumers for their newfound social media capabilities.
Dedicate resources. Of course organizations should establish solid social media policies up front, which clearly define their online voice. Your executive team should seriously consider designating a seasoned community manager to track and converse with customers and interested parties on Facebook and other social media platforms. The ability to monitor and quickly respond to online comments is of even greater importance now, and shows no signs of waning.
While Facebook's entrance into Yelp and Foursquare's territory won't necessarily mean that the other sites will go away, it does mean that marketers might want to adjust their thinking and approach to include Facebook Places. It will be a matter of winning or losing business.
Scott Esmond (@sesmond) is the director of business development and Tony Felice (@tonyfelice) is the senior strategist at internet presence management firm Red Door Interactive.
The Retailer's Source for Content & Community
Customer Reviews: Is Facebook the New Foursquare or Yelp?
In a matter of weeks, Facebook became much more than a place where old high school friends kept in touch, talking about things they "like" with one another. The introduction of Facebook's Community Pages combined with the social media site's launch earlier this year of Places, a location-based service, has put the relevancy and longevity of other outlets like Foursquare and Gowalla into question seemingly overnight.
Moreover, Facebook's current testing of ratings and reviews functionality in its ads changes the playing field for the likes of Yelp and other similar sites. In short, Facebook has become a bona fide, real-time, lead generation and customer feedback tool for companies around the world — and those right here in its own backyard.
Organizations savvy and flexible enough to capitalize on this trend have much to gain in terms of increased brand equity, lead generation and customer loyalty, but only if they take certain steps to ensure that it happens. Here are some examples:
Posting boring pictures or "hey guys" status updates won't cut it anymore. Simply blasting out the latest company updates won't increase followers or drive community engagement. While this may not be a new revelation, organizations now need to take it a step further by crafting their Facebook status updates and page content in such a way as to invite conversation among various target groups.
A trendy retail clothing chain, for example, can offer its fans a 5 percent discount if they provide reviews and feedback for a particular outlet in downtown Denver. Such promotions can be not only fruitful in terms of revenue, but also packed with real-time trend data that companies can use for similar initiatives in other markets.
Pay closer attention to feedback. Facebook's upcoming ratings and reviews feature will become a staple on the social media site in short order. Using the Denver clothing outlet as an example, people can now tell their friends to what degree they "like" the store, going so far as to qualify that on a rating scale and comment section. The expanded physical dimensions of Facebook's newest tentacles will create powerful waves online — shifting the focus from attitude to action.
Control the message even less. As if marketers weren't having enough trouble controlling their messaging, Facebook just made its users even more powerful with these few features. By offering far greater opportunities for folks to discuss, review, comment and complain about brands away from their corporate websites, Facebook has enabled consumers to take over a brand.
Organizations need to join in these conversations in a more frequent and personal manner than ever before, and avoid the perception of broadcasting. Listening and responding to questions and comments in a timely fashion is critical in today's environment. Above all else, companies should respect consumers for their newfound social media capabilities.
Dedicate resources. Of course organizations should establish solid social media policies up front, which clearly define their online voice. Your executive team should seriously consider designating a seasoned community manager to track and converse with customers and interested parties on Facebook and other social media platforms. The ability to monitor and quickly respond to online comments is of even greater importance now, and shows no signs of waning.
While Facebook's entrance into Yelp and Foursquare's territory won't necessarily mean that the other sites will go away, it does mean that marketers might want to adjust their thinking and approach to include Facebook Places. It will be a matter of winning or losing business.
Scott Esmond (@sesmond) is the director of business development and Tony Felice (@tonyfelice) is the senior strategist at internet presence management firm Red Door Interactive.