When something becomes the subject of a major motion picture, it’s arguably reached the status of “cultural phenomenon.” The Social Network, a movie from Sony Pictures and scheduled for release October 1, seeks to iconify the story behind Facebook.com, and with it, the various people involved, most notably Mark Zuckerberg, the Harvard undergraduate (and youngest billionaire in history) who built—or, perhaps stole—Facebook. The tagline for the movie? “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.” Who can resist?
I was pretty sure Facebook was on its way to “cultural phenomenon” status when I began noticing lots of people in their 40s and 50s (and even 60s) had accounts. Facebook relies on the most basic of primate instincts: our desire to feel connected to others in our tribe, mostly by knowing what’s going on in each of their lives. Who’s having a good day? Who’s witty? Who has something interesting to share? What’s happening with our kids, friends, neighbors and businesses we like? Those are the questions Facebook helps answer and, as a result, it’s become commonplace (in record time).
For those of you who’ve been living under a rock since 2003 (when it was founded), Facebook started as an online replacement/enhancement of the “face book,” something I first encountered when I entered Harvard as a freshman in 1977. It was, simply, a bound book with the high school senior picture of everyone in your entering class, in alphabetical order. I still have mine, with its placeholder pictures for Bill Gates and others who declined to provide a photo. I remember poring over it, trying to identify people I shared large lecture classes with and girls I hoped (futilely) to date.
Eventually, Facebook opened its doors to the masses, and here we are: 500 million members, an astounding 7.5 percent of the world’s population.
I’m really not here to talk about the Facebook phenomenon per se. It’s a done deal. It doesn’t matter whether Zuckerberg created it or stole it. What does matter is, it’s huge and shows no signs of slowing down (although eventually, of course, it will). For a business-to-consumer (B2C) company, large or small, it’s a valuable platform on which to leverage marketing efforts. And it’s (largely) free, if you accept the fact that social media costs nothing but the time you have to put into it.
If you’re not already on Facebook, I remind you: 500 million people in one place—and many of your existing customers are already there. So come on, all the cool kids have one.
The basic tool for a business to capitalize on the Facebook phenomenon is the so-called “Page” (as opposed to a personal “Profile”). “But,” you say, “my business already has a website. I don’t need a Facebook Page.” While having a website is most certainly a good thing and should be the definitive repository for all information about your company on the Web, most businesses don’t have the necessary tools for creating and sustaining interaction on their website, nor do their websites get regular visits from the same people. A Facebook Page addresses both of those issues.
A great local Facebook page is the one for Restaurant P/30 in Sebastopol (http://www.facebook.com/restaurantP30). If you visit its Page, you’ll see a “Like” button at the top, right next to its name. Click it, and you become a “fan” of P/30 and will begin to receive status updates. Looking at its “wall” (the place on Facebook Pages and Profiles where status updates and friend/fan questions and comments appear), you can see the Page is used to update fans on news and events and to remind followers they’re open for coffee in the morning (a relatively new thing). The P/30 person who manages the page really communicates the personality of the restaurant. Nothing “sales-y,” just friendly conversation.
Two other good Pages belong to Iron Horse Vineyards and Screamin’ Mimi’s Ice Cream (both of which have websites as well, although Mimi’s doesn’t mention its Facebook Page). Iron Horse makes special offers to its followers, and Mimi’s keeps people up-to-date on the changing varieties in its ice cream case.
Does it matter? Well, it certainly seems to attract an audience. Iron Horse (arguably a national brand) has 7,976 fans. Screamin’ Mimi’s has 939 fans. And Restaurant P/30 weighs in with 1,496. These are all people who already like the business in question, and are (at least somewhat) interested in continuing to patronize it.
The question you’re probably asking right now is, “OK, how do I get fans for my Facebook Page?” It’s really pretty easy. First, you need to let people know your business in on Facebook. Its icon is pretty well known, so you should place it on your website (see www.IronHorseVineyards.com for a tasteful example). Any communication to your mailing list should feature the Facebook logo (a live link in any email). And of course, you should have the logo prominently displayed near your cash register, with a “Find us on Facebook” message. People won’t ask, but it’s something they’ll notice.
The second step in getting fans is to make it worth their while. Some fans are happy just to be able to hear about the special of the day or an upcoming event, or to be able to communicate with you. But nothing gets fans excited like knowing you have special offers just for them. It’s something to consider.
But the real secret of getting fans? Be personable. And that’s why some businesses succeed on Facebook and some don’t. If you view interacting with fans of your business as a chore, I can already tell you which category your business is in.
I’ll be writing more about Facebook next month. In the meantime, friend me at www.facebook.com/michael.e.duffy or write me at mduffy@northbaybiz.com.
