Black Enterprise has tapped social media expert S. Lynn Cooper to provide tips for taking your stellar real-world reputation and packaging it in the digital space during our 9th Annual Women of Power Summit. In addition to serving as Chief Social Officer at her company, Socially Ahead, Cooper regularly contributes her insights to BlackEnterprise.com, and has been featured on MSNBC, CBS News, Huffington Post, Bloomberg, Redbook and American Express Open Forum, among many other online outlets.
Here, we’re highlighting Cooper’s surefire tips to successfully launching a product on Facebook:
If you build it, they will come
First things first: to get the most out of Facebook, brands should focus on building a target audience. Start by defining who your audience is and develop a strategy to guide them to your fan page. Releasing consistent content packed with useful information in conjunction with contests, powered by Facebook ads, will ensure that you get the consumers you’re seeking.
Ben & Jerry’s is a brand to watch when it comes to Facebook fan pages. The famous ice cream brand not only has a well laid out page, but excellent fan engagement. Ben & Jerry’s profiles fans with their products which lets consumers know that they’re highly valued by their brand.
Research and develop
If your brand currently has a significant following, use Facebook to soft launch your product. Invite users to test your brand and provide feedback as volunteers. Make sure to reward them in some way once your product or service fully launches. Remember these people can become your evangelists, especially since you gave them the opportunity to be a part of the process.
Lay’s has been able to harness the power of Facebook in their Lay’s Do Us a Flavor campaign. It has not only provided research and development of what potato chip flavor they should release next; the brand has also generated millions of dollars in sales by peaking people’s curiosity.
Activate your fans
Well-planned contests and giveaways not only increase the number of likes, they engage your target audience and provide valuable customer information. The campaign needs to have three key elements:
- a way for your fans to interact with not only the brand but with each other
- a clean design/copy
- an enticing prize
Looking for some inspiration? A great example is Gillette Venus Embrace DIY contest. The contest urges crafty women to embrace their inner “do it yourself diva†by completing several challenges. The winner wins a trip to Los Angeles.
As our annual Women or Power Summit approaches, we’ll be providing our power women with winning strategies to take their social networking skills to the next level. If you have any strategies you’d like to share, be sure to tweet @blackenterprise using #BEWomenofPower.
Embrace Your Power: The Moment is Now! Attend the Women of Power Summit hosted by State Farm, and explore all the ways you can achieve your professional and personal goals. This four-day event caters to executive women of color. It’s your opportunity to connect with other powerful women, develop professional strategies, and get expert advice from today’s leading female executives and decision makers. Register today!