Tag Archives: facebook app

Why We Engage on Facebook

Why We Engage on Facebook

Why We Engage on Facebook

People engage on Facebook for a variety of reasons. Individuals like to keep in contact with old friends, colleagues, or classmates, others to participate in online discussions, and some to just keep up with everyday trending news.

There are many personal reasons people are using Facebook but what about the psychological reasons?

As humans, we use Facebook to express empathy, show who we are and what we stand for, give our opinions on topics, fulfill gaps in companionship, and to share our deepest thoughts and emotions.

Check out the infographic from Quicksprout for more stats and fun facts on Facebook.

Why We Engage on Facebook 2

 

Social Networking – The Dark Side

Social Networking’s Dark Side

 

Social Networking’s Dark Side

People jump on social media sites like Facebook to keep up with friends, family and fans. More often than not people find their experiences with social media pleasant. However, like the real world, social networking can have a darker side.

Even though most users post relatively harmless items, some people post offensive or harmful items. Inappropriate sexual content, graphic content and illegal activities are all activities that are reported daily. When reported, these posts are reviewed by moderators or a specialized team and action is taken to either pull the content or warn the account holder.

Users who post offensive content are warned that their accounts can be disabled. The moderation team has the option to alert authorities to deal with threats and other situations. Facebook also partners with suicide prevention agencies to help those who’ve posted a cry for assistance.

With billions of accounts, it’s impossible for all accounts to be monitored so be careful what you click on and pay attention to warnings from responsible users.

Social Networking’s Dark Side

6 Ways Restaurants Can Best Use Facebook

Facebook offers EVERY restaurant a great way to stay in touch with their customers and find new ones. The key is in providing timely information and great value.

Restaurant

By offering regular, fun, social information and timely updates via Facebook posts, a page has started well! By then making sure you offer easy access to information, deals, and more RIGHT ON Facebook to would-be customers, restaurants can really benefit. This provides easy, fast, and immediate access and removes barriers of potentially losing fans by transferring them to your website (more on that below).

6 Things Restaurants Should Do on Facebook

1. Post Inspiring Content, Images, and News Regularly

While it could be tempting to offer deals, specials, and more continually, please remember that social media is about building relationships, being social, and offering value. Users are on Facebook to connect and engage with things of interest. Being too salesy all the time will turn fans off. A loyal following and community can only be created if you actively seek out and share valuable content, yours and community related, that inspires, informs, educates and connects.

Post on a regular schedule, such as 2-3 times per day at key times and in a way that invites Likes, Shares, and Comments. Use a mix of post types from status updates to photos of food and short videos of life and times at the restaurant.

NOTE: people are visual and the popularity of Facebook and Pinterest prove that people connect with images. If you want to quickly capture the attention of your fans or followers, add images that are eye-catching and pleasing to the eye. Also, consider using simple tools like Vine and Instagram’s Video tool along with Facebook Video and YouTube as ways to easily create shareable videos that display well on Facebook.

2. Highlight Special Items on the Fan Page Cover Image

Now that Facebook no longer has a text limit of 20% on Cover Images, use the Cover Image regularly as a means of showcasing valuable items like this week’s special, new seasonal offerings, or pictures of the live band, whatever is relevant to your restaurant! This can be changed out weekly or 2x a week. Consider using a Cover Image template to enable you to customize images quickly and be sure to edit the image to include a description and a link when it is posted. Here’s 12 more ideas for creating buzz with your Cover Image.

3. Include a Menu Tab

It’s not rocket science! Let visitors on your Facebook Page know what you got right on Facebook!

Add a tab and add your menu to the tab. Want to save more time? Use the TabSite Website ReSizer and simply add your existing menu from your website to a Facebook tab! Why? It saves time! Update your menu on your website and the tab is updated automatically since it’s the same page, just on Facebook! Website ReSizer allows the powerful advantage of making any website page fit perfectly in a tab.

Then share updates to your menu via a post on Facebook and link to the tab via a Smart URL (mobile friendly) to take visitors direct to the tab!

4. Offer Reservations via a Facebook Tab

Does Friday evening get packed at your hot spot? Do you already offer reservations via your website? Then simply bring it into Facebook for use! Same as the menu tab above, create a tab and use the Website ReSizer app to bring your web reservations page into Facebook for use. Then post about it in the news feed before prime time and get customers used to coming to your page on Facebook to make their reservations! Sweetness!

This adds a great dimension of functionality to your fan page. When people are on Facebook, they want to stay on Facebook, and this allows them to do so by giving them the information and tools right on the Facebook page tab.

5. Use Facebook Check Ins and Check In Deals

Restaurants can have the Check In feature enabled, which is valuable to get extra exposure on Facebook!

Facebook offers quite a variety of page category options. One of the biggest features that any local business should take advantage of is the Check In option.

This will allow users to check into your location, which is helpful for at least two reasons. First, it can raise awareness of your business and location with friends of the user checking in. Second, check ins can be part of Graph Search results, so that if a Facebook user is searching for a restaurant in Chicago that friends have visited, check ins appear in results.

Graph Search result with check-ins of friends listed.

Graph Search result with check-ins of friends listed.

To check or change your Page category, go to the Admin Panel and select Edit Settings. Then go to Basic Information, and find Category at the top of the list.

Check In Deals

A big bonus that Facebook offers is ability for locations with Check In feature to offer a deal for visitors checking in. This is a great way to generate some buzz and get more exposure leading to more customers. (Note: I’ve seen that they are not available in some countries).

What is a Check-in Deal?

A Check-in Deal is a way to offer an incentive to customers to check-in to your business on Facebook with their mobile devices. When they check-in, you can offer any of the following Deals in exchange:

Individual: Offer a discount to an individual for simply checking in.

Loyalty: Offer a discount or freebie for checking in a certain number of times.

Friend: Offer a Deal to groups of friends who check-in together.

Charity: A check-in results in a donation to the specified charity.

Access Deals in your Page Admin area:

check-in-offer-deals

Check In Offer Deal Types as Shown in Page Admin

Check In Offer Deal Types as Shown in Page Admin

6. Offer a Special Deal for Email Sign-ups via a Facebook Tab

By adding a Email sign-up tab to your Facebook page and making users aware of it periodically through posts and tips, restaurants grow their email list and then reach potential buyers and sellers via this means as well. This is critical! Email continues to be a primary marketing success method. When it gets into the inbox, it gets attention.

Email marketing continues to provide value to those who use it by creating a routine of regular information and education that is in the inbox! With integration’s for tabs from services like MailChimp and Constant Contact among others, having a custom tab for email sign-ups is a snap! More powerful still than a basic sign-up form is to create incentive by offering some of value, a free guide, offer, or resource, that is the motivator that is shared to encourage users to opt-in.

Deal Download Offer Tab options >>

tabs

Together these tips implemented and carried out with regular news feed updates on your restaurant fan page can be a valuable method of marketing to grow more customers!

What about your business? Most of these tips can also apply to other industries as well! Do you have other ideas to add to the mix?

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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Checklist and Tips for Running a Successful Facebook Photo Contest

facebook-contestsMarketers are always looking at finding new and effective ways to reach their target audience.  With Facebook being a major social network force where potential customers are spending significant time, maximizing the effectiveness of your company Facebook page is a critical consideration.

Facebook Contests offer great engagement potential!  Here’s the massive resource compilation on Facebook Contests!

CONTESTS CAN:

  • Drive Traffic
  • Increase “Likes” of the fan page
  • Extend audience reach to friends of current fans
  • Boost engagement and activity on a fan page
  • Generate buzz and viral sharing

The bottom line, though, is does a contest impact sales?    

The answer:  YES!

How?  Research shows that persons who become a fan are more likely to purchase from that brand.


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Contests Overview:

A contest is different than a sweepstakes or a deal offer where a users enters or gets the deal and is done.  Contests typically involve voting by the public or judging by a select group in order to determine the winner. While photo contests are the most common type routinely used, there are other types of contests such as video entry, essay or caption.

Note: All contests on Facebook must use third-party apps displayed on a Facebook Page tab. This is necessary to comply with  Facebook’s promotion policy. TabSite offers you all the needed features to comply with Facebook promotion policy. (see 5 Benefits of using a 3rd Party App for Facebook Contests)

Types of Facebook Contests:

Photo Voting Contests:

There are several types of contests — users might submit photosvideos, or essays, for example. Typically with a photo contest, there can be a like gate so visitors must “Like” the page to enter (optional).  Users then submit their image and the entry with the most votes by a certain end date could win, or a two-stage contest could incorporate a second round with however many finalists you choose.  Alternately, the winner could be determined by a panel of judges, but allowing fan voting increases traffic to your page and drives more interactions.

Instagram Contests:

This is a specific multi-social network contest hosted on a Facebook page but using Instagram.  Instagram mobile users load a picture to that service and in the description tag it with a specific #hashtag that the contest has set.  This pulls in the image from Instagram to the Facebook page tab where Facebook fans can vote on the image.

View INFOGRAPHIC

www_facebook_com_tourism_outdoorrecreation_sk=app_140027096128579&app_data=434829565369679597_353378230

Contest Tips for Best Results:

Here’s a few Contest Tips to help yours be a success:

  • Relevant Prize:   The prize value should be in line with the time commitment the entrant will invest in order to develop the entry. (Simply offering a iPad does not help you attract relevant fans if you sell fashion jewelry!)
  • Keep the contest moving!    Do not run a month-long contest. The attention span of a Facebook user is not geared toward keeping track of an entry and voting once a day for 30 days. A better span is 5-7 days, or perhaps 10 days if it’s a two-stage contest (initial and final rounds).
  • Get Voters to Return again, set voting to once per day.    This encourages entrants to get voters to come back each day, a perfect situation for your Page!  You WANT voters to come back and interact with your contest and page.  This is valuable for gaining more affinity connection to your page so your posts appear more in their news feed.
  • Consider a 2 Stage Contest.  2 Stage contests include a main open round of entry and voting, followed by a second round of narrowed down “finalists” voting.    A Case Study on a 2 Stage Photo Contest showed that engagement could be increased, particularly by the fact that the initial round of entries generated voting interest and therefore voters were motivated to come back again in the second stage to see who the finalists were and vote again.  More stages with daily voting = more interaction and engagement.

Contest Promotion Tips

Simply having a contest or promotion live is not the end. You’ve got to capture attention and drive fans and their friends to the promotion.

Getting the attention of and making it easy for all fans (desktop and mobile) to access the promotion on Facebook can totally make or break your promotion getting traction!  It can mean the difference between 5 entries and 500 entries; between 5 Likes and Shares and 5000 Likes and Shares!

So, the circle of connection between a fan and a Facebook Page can grow with use of apps like a Facebook Contest.   In short, the more a Facebook Page can engage a user such as through a contest where there are the potential for multiple “Likes”, Comments, and Shares that connect the fan and the Page, the more the affinity of the user to the Page is boosted.  Contests can be a powerful tool for Facebook marketers as part of social strategy to growth their social community.

hashtagsonfacebook#Hashtags

With the launch of hashtag tracking by Facebook, this becomes a new tool to use in your contests.  Encourage use of a hashtag in sharing by doing the following:

1. Include a #hashtag you have chosen in the posts you share on Facebook, Twitter, and Google + (etc.).

2. Include your hashtag in the preset “Tweet”, “Facebook Share”, and other items that are part of the contest setup.

3. Include your hashtag in your contest text and instructions on the contest tab for further reinforcement.

GETTING THE WORD OUT IDEA CHECKLIST:

  1. Announce UPCOMING Promotion via social networks:  Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, and company Email marketing lists
  2. Then announce the LAUNCH
  3. Repeat Launch Announcement “Reminder our contest is live!”
  4. Daily Reminder Posts at varying times best for your audience
  5. Update Status of Promotion – “4 days remain…”  “2 front runners with over 200 votes each!”
  6. Nearing End Reminder Posts – “Only 48 hours left to vote!”
  7. Announce Winners Posts – “We have a winner!  Click here to see the results!”

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 Facebook Photo Contest Case Study >>

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Be sure to use the Smart URL.

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WEBINAR VIDEO REPLAY

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Slides from the TabSite Webinar:

What questions do you have about Facebook Contests?

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TabSite offers Facebook contest apps for Facebook starting at $19/month.  Learn more about TabSite contests and promotion tool options here:

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