Facebook, the social networking service that was launched nearly eight years ago by founder Mark Zuckerberg began as a tool for people to merely stay connected with their friends and loved ones. Today, it has evolved into what we have recently seen to be as a business-marketing tool. Many businesses small and large, are creating Facebook pages to promote their brands, tips, tricks and logos.
The creators of Facebook have made it possible for these brands and businesses to engage their target demographics in multiple ways. This tool has been extremely successful in grabbing the attention of their audiences by posting photographs, prompting responses with open ended posts, inspiring with the use of quotes, sharing tips and lastly, by asking for opinions.
People love nothing more than to share their opinions, and Facebook makes that possible. When companies post pictures, people are able to “like” it and share their thoughts and expressions without having to stand up in front of a crowd. They can silently do it, and be as expressive as they want to be, from the comfort of their computer or mobile device. The same thing goes for open-ended posts and questions. For example, the shoe company “Toms” often writes posts such as, “Loving the new red Toms! Which color do you have?” Posts like this are addictive, spread very quickly and within minutes usually have hundreds of responses and “likes.”
Another example would be from the sporting retail company East Coast Alpine, Inc. They often choose to engage their customers by posting pictures and captioning them with “fill-in-the-blanks.” Just today actually, they posted a picture that was separated in two, the left side included people doing summer sports, and the right winter sports. The photo captioned, “_______________ is my favorite season.” The post was an instant hit. This same reaction goes to companies that use inspirational quotes, for example Women’s Health Magazine often posts quotes such as, “A goal should scare you a little, and excite you a lot.” -Dr. Joe Vitale. They also love to share the latest health and fitness tips. Consumers who view these sites are generally hungry for information, and become instantly hooked on this new way of marketing. Thanks Facebook, talk about an easy and an excellent way to engage consumers.
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