Tag Archives: App

How to Use Facebook Hashtags to Increase Facebook Contest Results

Facebook Hashtag Contest Promotion Communication Facebook recently announced the incorporation of hashtags into their platform.

What is a hashtag?

Hashtags turn topics and phrases into clickable links. They can be used on your personal timeline, Facebook page, photos on Facebook and the list goes on. Facebook hashtags make it easy for users to easily follow conversations and even find topics or products they are interested in.

Check out this post which provides a good summary of the new Facebook hashtag feature and capabilities, “Hashtags on Facebook Arrive.

As marketers are starting to dig into the opportunities for using hashtags on Facebook to increase their marketing results one way that must not be overlooked is the ability to use Facebook hashtags for contests and promotions.

How to Use Facebook Hashtags in Contests and Promotions

1. Select a hashtag to represent your contest, promotion and/or brand. Make it simple and easy to remember.

2. Include the hashtag as part of the foundational communication for the contest or promotion. Include it in all communication such as email, tweets, Facebook posts, Facebook images and photos, Pinterest posts, and blog posts when announcing and inviting people to participate in the contest or promotion.

3. Give participants clear instructions on how to use and include hashtags as they participate in the contest and as they share with their friends and colleagues.

4. Monitor the hashtag on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other platforms as appropriate. Watch for conversations to engage, answer questions.

5. Leverage the hashtag in your metrics to measure the overall success of the campaign.  Facebook has not launched integrated hashtag measurement features for this yet. Efforts currently will need to be manual and leverage available tools, manual monitoring and tracking of conversations etc.

As with anything you do with social media and Facebook marketing, hashtags should not be used as a stand-alone strategy or tactic. Integrate hashtags into your marketing. Align them with key marketing initiatives, campaigns, and promotions. Take the time needed to learn and understand how they can help you achieve your goals and objectives, not just randomly throw them into your contest.

Check out our recent Facebook webinar for details on how to use hashtags in Facebook Promotions and Contests and much more. “How to Run a Successful Facebook Photo Contest.”

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Facebook Announces Timeline Updates

On March 13, 2013, Facebook quietly announced a BIG update:

“UPDATES TO THE TIMELINE ROLLING OUT NOW.”  

Full news release accessible on Facebook Developer Blog.

The Timeline is the “home page” of any Facebook user.  This is where a person updates their Cover image, has links to their About information, Photos, and Friends, and most importantly where it lists their most recent Facebook status updates and activity.

WHY ISN’T THIS BIGGER NEWS?  

Hard to say.  Last week Facebook held a press event to announce a revamp of the  News Feed and yet this roll-out hasn’t really been arrived for the majority of users.  However, the Timeline update was announced one day ago as “We are beginning to gradually roll out these new features to users and developers today.”  (emphasis added).

Current Timeline View:

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Coming New Timeline View:

Key Differences:  About section in left displaying and two column equal width changed to 2 column with right width being much more substantial.  A 2/3 and 1/3 style.  Plus the image thumbnails below the cover image are gone and text tabs are now below the Timeline and include: Timeline, About, Friends, Photos, and a More drop down.

Facebook says they are,  introducing better ways for apps to appear on timeline, improved controls for users, and streamlined tools for setting up Open Graph.”

THIS IS BIG NEWS!  (AND MUCH NEEDED)

According to Facebook, “Posts and life events now appear on the right side of timeline and the other things people care about appear on the left. We’re making content from apps more prominent by giving them sections in the left column of timeline and on the About tab.

Why is this good news for Facebook users?  More Control!

People can add things to the new books, music, movies, TV, and fitness sections manually or by choosing to include content from the apps they use. This is GREAT for users and GREAT for us Developers to create new features for users to personalize their Timeline with things that are important to them!

 

New app sections

People will be able to add an app as a stand-alone section on their timeline and About page.

For example, Instagram’s section displays a user’s photos and those they like.

Apps will now be displayed in app sections. Previously, only top-ranked Open Graph stories and aggregations would appear on timeline. Now, when someone adds an app section, it will appear in the same place until they edit the order or visibility.  

Ability to now control what app information is at the top of the Timeline for a user is HUGE!

As part of this update, Facebook is now giving people more control over which apps they want to show on their timeline.

According to Facebook, “To add your app as a section, people will need to install your app and click the “Add to Profile” button on their app section page. You should encourage your users to add your app by linking to it on web or invoking it on mobile.”

Do I mention this is great for users and also great for Developers?

More control for users and more opportunity for Developers to create tools for over 1 Billion people to customize their Timeline to show what’s important to them.  This is HUGE and is very interesting that they rolled out the news quietly.

Why would Facebook announce this quietly?

Are they afraid of user backlash?  Not sure at this point.  All I can say is that watch for it because it appears they are going to roll this out right away and watch for new features from developers coming shortly!

Do you have the new Timeline on your Profile yet?  Let us know what you think!

 

 

 

4 Facebook Promotion Ideas for Valentines Day

Love is the air!

Launch a Valentine’s Day promotion on Facebook!

It’s that month, the month where Valentines Day promotions take center stage as businesses seek to offer consumers products, services, and ideas for purchase in anticipation of the February 14 day of romance.

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How Can Your Business Quickly Roll Out a Valentines Deal on Facebook?

Need something quick and easy for your Facebook Page this Valentines season?  TabSite offers businesses the power to offer a Facebook approved Deal within the company Facebook Page.

Easily create and launch a discount code for online use, or a coupon or a discount on specific products that fans can bring in to your store to make their Valentine purchase.

Steps to a Facebook Valentine Deal Promotion include:

1. Sign-up for TabSite Platinum and select the TabSite Deal App to use.

2. Create your Deal / Offer Images and add to your Deal App Tab.

3. Publish the Tab to the company Facebook Page.

4. Post the Smart URL to Facebook, Twitter, e-mail lists, and more to alert fans and followers to your offer.  Repeat every 1-2 days leading up to Valentines Day.

 

Here’s four different Facebook Promotion ideas from TabSite that can be implemented quickly to help your business increase sales via a Valentines Promotion on Facebook.  Each of these Apps is available at the Platinum Plan level of TabSite.

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Share Deal App
The premise is simple: In order to “unlock” the Page deal, the fan must share the deal on their own Facebook wall! 

The “Share Deal” Facebook App is a great tool for offering a printable special discount, a savings code to use online, or other promo that spreads because fans need to share the deal on their Facebook profile news feed in order to get access themselves. This App includes the Promotional Tool feature enabling you to build a call-out to add to your website/blog to drive traffic to the tab!   Click here to view details.

 

 
Friend Share Deal Reveal App
This app allows Facebook Pages to offer a deal that can only be accessed after the fan has shared the deal with a friend. Empower fans to spread the word with friends via the Friend Share Deal Reveal. Different from “Share Deal” above, this app allows a fan to share the deal direct to the news feed of a specific friend of theirs. A trusted recommendation from a friend gives credibility to your offer and increases the return.

See full details

 

 

Pin Deal App

Integrate Pinterest sharing in your Facebook Deal offer to increase the visibility of your offer online on both Facebook and Pinterest.  In order to “unlock” and get access to your Facebook Page tab deal, the fan must Pin the deal on Pinterest!

The “Pin Deal” App is a powerful tool for offering a special discount, incentive, or offer promo that spreads because fans need to “Pin” the deal on Pinterest in order to get access themselves to it on your Facebook tab. This App is available at the Platinum Plan level and includes ability to offer a download or an image offer revealed after the Pin.

As with all Engagement Apps, this app includes the Promotional Tool feature enabling you to build a call-out to add to your website/blog to drive traffic to the tab!    Pin Deal Details >

 

 

 

Coupon Engagement App
  
Drive Valentine deal buyers to your Facebook fan page by offering a discount coupon or code! Simple to setup, customize by loading a branded image with coupon information that fans can use on your website or print and bring to your location. 

This app for Facebook Pages is available at the Platinum level and includes social sharing tools and optional Like Gate. Additional features included are the option to add a “Sign-up for future Coupons” form for entering e-mail address and name, and an export option as well! Setup Details >

 Add to your Fan Page

 

VALENTINES DAY FACEBOOK DEALS

Help shoppers plan ahead and get that special someone something wonderful by offering a Valentines Day Deal on Facebook.  Setup now and post about it on your social sites, on your website, and via e-mail to drive consumers on mobile and web to your special Valentines Facebook Page Deal using one of the TabSite apps noted above.

Ready to create a Valentines Day Deal App?  Click below to purchase TabSite Platinum to unlock all the options above for your Facebook Page Valentines deal.

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TabSite offers Deal, Coupon, and Contest Apps that can be adapted for any holiday, such as Valentines Day, to create social buzz and drive more fans and friends to purchase your productrs and services.

 

VALENTINES DAY FACEBOOK APP

 

 

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Author: Mike Gingerich,  TabSite Co-Founder.  Facebook and Internet Marketer. Part geek, part marketer, total social media junkie. TabSite is a leader in Facebook fan page tools for businesses. TabSite offers brands the power to boost Facebook marketing with apps, contests, and promotion tools.  

 

 

 

Deal and Promotion Apps from TabSite

Facebook Page Apps. We’ve got a wide array to meet your needs!

Boost your Page engagement with Deals:

Here’s a quick rundown on the various Deal and Coupon apps available from TabSite for use on Facebook Pages:

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Each Page App can be accessed with selection of a  14 Day Free Trial of the Platinum Plan.  Some Apps are available at lower plan levels as well.  For a full review, including Contests see:  Promo Apps

 

Sweepstakes PLUS App

 

Sweepstakes Plus is a powerful promotion app that is viral by nature.

Setup a sweepstakes with form for fans to enter to win a prize. The viral power is that a fan that enters gets a additional entry for sharing the sweepstakes with a friend via the Friend Share tool and a further entry if the friend clicks the link and comes to the tab! That’s 3x the entries for that one fan that entered! Fans can come back and share again with a different friend for another entry and so on! Motivate fans to share and reap the rewards of more traffic and engagement on your fan page! Includes export option for all entrants and the data on their sharing.

 See full details.

Add to your Fan Page

Friend Share Deal Reveal

Friend Share Deal Reveal App

Increase your Facebook Reach! This app allows Facebook Pages to offer a deal that can only be accessed after the fan has shared the deal with a friend. Empower fans to spread the word with friends via the Friend Share Deal Reveal.

Page Admins set the number of total times the deal page can be accessed, and stats are given on times shared per Facebook profile.

See full details

Add to your Fan Page

Brand VideoMaker

Friend Share Deal Download App

This promotion app allows Facebook Pages to offer a deal that can only be downloaded after the fan has shared the deal with a friend. Includes a lead capture form for name and email after the share to grow your email list. Increase online reach as fans share with friends via the Friend Share Deal Download.

Page Admin is able to control downloads including total number of downloads that can be accessed and the date when the deal is no longer active on the tab. Exportable stats include number of times each fan shares per Facebook user, number of skips (if any), number who accessed the Download and name/email from form submissions.

Add to your Fan Page

Contest

Contest App

The Contest suite allows Facebook Page Admins to easily create a contest! Options for contest type include: Photo contest, Video, or Essay/Text entry contests. The Contest app comes with a full suite of tools to allow extensive customization and language control for any brand.

Create your Contest including an option for a countdown timer and ability to set a “go-live” time to automatically turn the Contest on/off. Use your own images/video/essays, or allow user entries. Build a custom form specific to your entry needs and language, and customize your page with your own images. Platinum features include ability to have multiple winners selected, exporting of data, 2-stage contests(general and finalist rounds), Admin approval of entries, and more! View details: Contest Overview or 2 Stage Contests.Add to your Fan Page

Brand VideoMaker

Brand VidMaker Video App

Brand VidMaker allows users to easily create customized videos for your company Facebook page!

The video will be made up of select image slides you load, such as products, services, or marketing messages. Video creators add a title and description, followed by adding the company logo (which will be the transition between each main image). There are multiple video background options, slide transitions, and a number of select music soundtracks to choose from to further customize the video. Up to 8 product/service/marketing slide images can be used in the video. Once ready, the video can be pushed to the brand Facebook Page where it will be hosted by Facebook. Facebook also provides embed code so that you can use the video on your website or blog. Users can select to also publish the video to a tab on the company Facebook page as well.

Add to your Fan Page

Group Deal

Group Deal App

The “Group Deal” App from TabSite is a great social tool for offering a special discount, an e-book download, a savings code, or other promo that is unlocked by group participation and sharing! More details >

KEY FEATURE: Page Admins set how many times a Deal must be “shared” in order for it to be “unlocked and active” for fans to access. This App is available at the Platinum Plan level and includes the Promotional Tool feature enabling you to build an embeddable call-out to add to your website/blog to drive traffic to the tab! Admins can also capture contact information for those participating and limit the total number of deals that will be offered, putting you in total control of this viral sharing mega-engagement booster!Add to your Fan Page

Pin Deal

Pin Deal App

With more referral traffic than Google, Twitter, Bing, and Yahoo, Pinterest is a social referral monster! Now with TabSite you can utilize this traffic source for your Facebook Page by using the Pin Deal app. In order to “unlock” your Facebook Page tab deal, the fan must Pin the deal on Pinterest!

The “Pin Deal” App from TabSite is a powerful tool for offering a special discount, incentive, or offer promo that spreads because fans need to “Pin” the deal on Pinterest in order to get access themselves. This App is available at the Platinum Plan level and includes ability to offer a download or an image offer revealed after the Pin. As with all Engagement Apps, this app includes the Promotional Tool feature enabling you to build a call-out to add to your website/blog to drive traffic to the tab! Pin Deal Details >

Add to your Fan Page

Instagram Contest

Instagram Contest App

Create, promote, and manage an Instagram Contest where users enter by uploading a image via their Instagram mobile app using your designated hashtag. Perfect for engaging mobile users and tying together interaction on your Facebook Page with Instagram, this app offers ability to run a Instagram Contest where images are displayed and fans can vote, comment on, and share entries. Multiple control options for Page Admins make this a dynamic promotional tool for Facebook Pages. Full Details >

Add to your Fan Page

E-mail Sign-up

Coupon Engagement App

Drive traffic to your fan page by offering a discount coupon or code! Simple to setup, customize by loading a branded image with coupon information that fans can use on your website or print and bring to your location.

This app is available at the Platinum level and includes social sharing tools and optional Like Gate. Additional features included are the Promotional Tool feature to embed a call-out on their website or blog to drive users to this tab, as well as an option to add a “Sign-up for future Coupons” form for entering e-mail address and name. This form comes with an export option as well! Setup Details >Add to your Fan Page

Social Feedback

Social Review App

Available at the Gold and Platinum Plan levels, the Social Review app allows Page Admins to create a tab where fans can share, review, leave a testimonial or give input on a specific question or topic. The uses are limited only by your creativity! Page Admins can select to have one comment stream or to add multiple areas, each with its own unique stream of comments. Some brands have used the Social Review tab to get input on possible new logos, new products, or input on specific store location customer service. The Platinum Plan offers the additional capability for Page Admins to set review to “Must Be Pre-Approved” which means that no comment is live until the Page Admin reviews it and makes it live.

KEY FEATURE: Have one comment stream on the tab or have a unique comment stream per image. This allows you to have one unified comment thread or individual threads per image (different products, services or ideas). Why Social Reviews? Because Facebook’s Comments Social Plug-in uses an algorithm to only display relevant comments to each user. So not all comments are displayed and different viewers might see different comments if using simply the Facebook Comments tool. Not so with Social Reviews! Social Reviews will show ALL viewers ALL the comments and also gives the user the ability to post the comment to their profile News Feed. View Details >

Add to your Fan Page

Coupon Engagement App

Drive traffic to your Facebook fan page by offering a discount coupon or code! Simple to setup, customize by loading a branded image with coupon information that fans can use on your website or print and bring to your location.This app for Pages is available at the Platinum level and includes social sharing tools and optional Like Gate. Additional features included are the Promotional Tool feature to embed a call-out on their website or blog to drive users to this tab, as well as an option to add a “Sign-up for future Coupons” form for entering e-mail address and name. This form comes with an export option as well! Setup Details >

Add to your Fan Page

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Facebook Page Power with TabSite fan page Promotions!  For other apps for Products, Photo galleries, Pinterest and more, see www.TabSite.com/engagementapps.

Select and Run Facebook Contest for your Page INFOGRAPHIC

Facebook Engagement — Achieve it and your page can soar to new heights. Without it, your merely shouting into the wind.

Companies that achieve engagement have pages with an active, positive, and involved community.  This type of social community responds to Facebook posts, is committed to the brand, and helps to further extend the reach of the Page through their sharing and comments.  Increased engagement can bring about positive returns in a number of areas for marketers including:

  • Increased size of audience
  • More brand awareness
  • Greater customer loyalty
  • Increased e-mail list opt-ins and subscribers
  • And more actions taken on ordering products and services

With research data by noting that 79% of Facebook fans are more likely to purchase from a brand they have liked, pursuing more fans and deeper engagement with existing fans is a huge priority!

The million dollar question remains, “how can a company boost engagement for their Facebook Page?”  While there are a number of core methods for increasing engagement such as creating highly shareable content, posting images and videos, and posting at key times, another powerful method is to run promotions. 

Promotions have the ability to draw visitors to a Facebook page and when used correctly, can be a very valuable tool to accomplish engagement objectives.  

Here’s a FACEBOOK PROMOTIONS INFOGRAPHIC with insights on types of Facebook contest promotions options, keys for which type to select and tips for maximizing the use of each type of promotion.

 

The four key types of Facebook Contest Apps to use for promotions include:

  • Facebook Sweepstakes App
  • Facebook Contest Apps (Photo Contest, Video Contest, Essay / tagline Contest)
  • Facebook Deal Apps (Coupons, Like Gate, Friend Share, etc.)
  • Facebook Mult-Social Network integrated apps such as Instagram Contests, Pinterest Deal Apps, and Twitter Contests that all work on a Facebook Page.

Tabsite makes all contest mobile accessible.  See example: Mobile

TabSite offers a full suite of Engagement Apps for use on Facebook Pages.  Easily setup and run Facebook promotions.  View options on Facebook Contest Apps here:

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