Comments on: Marketing via Facebook Pages

By: Jens P. Berget

Jens P. Berget — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:26:16 +0000

I work at a college in Norway, and I’ve been considering creating a Facebook page and combine it with Facebook social ads.
The problem is that I’m not sure what we’re looking to do with a page at Facebook. Is it just a way to drive traffic to our website?
Actually, I think it’s a way to communicate with our current students, former students and potential students. By communicating (answering questions, posting stories, publishing videos from our college) with this group, it might help them get more information about our college and realize that it’s a great place to study.
I think of Facebook pages as a place of support, although it might actually have a viral effect if we’re lucky

By: jasica mason

jasica mason — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:31:03 +0000

hay there
i have read the post its really informative for me and help mr out to understandthe pricing strategy in my MARKETING MANGEMENT course

By: Stephen Dill

Stephen Dill — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:04:33 +0000

Paul, it’s another net in another pool. The dynamics of FB are as hard to predict as any other publishing or broadcast media, though if you can come up with some sort of offbeat or sarcastic tagline you may get a higher pass-around (viral) rate than a straight explanation of a product or service due to the nature of the FB culture that is developing. I have set up 3 pages for 2 clients and 1 group and a dozen groups for organizations and a few clients. Al have grown slowly on their own. I add content, and some inspires dialog, most is outgoing announcements to the members. I have found relatively few pages or groups that are similar enough to join and contribute to as you suggest. But it’s early yet. The trick is to keep looking and watching and when you find one, do as you say – join, favorite, contribute, and cite them on your own page. Next is to ask for them to guest blog, so to speak, on your page.

By: Paul Chaney

Paul Chaney — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:13:02 +0000

@Jeffrey – I tend to agree. To borrow from @Mark’s comments where he cited Chris’ reference to Facebook Pages as an “outpost,” I see it the same way. I call a blog your social media headquarters, a base of operations from which forays into other forms of social media engagement are made, FB being one of them.

By: Mark Ivey

Mark Ivey — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:36:20 +0000

Interesting approach...One cool feature of Facebook Pages is when a "fan" joins, their own followers see it and can follow, thus the potential viral nature of a Page. But Emily raises a good question about the focused nature of your readers on Facebook. FB is a broad and fleeting audience; would they be as loyal to a typical FB Page than, say, a favorite blog? I look at FB Pages as just one of many "marketing outposts" (Chris Brogan's term), allowing you to experiment and reach people in different corners of the blogosphere. If you want more info on developing a successful Facebook Page, I recently posted this article on MarketProfs: http://www.marketingprofs.com/9/how-to-develop-a-successful-facebook-page-ivey.asp (ps: you just got one more fan)

By: Emily Brackett

Emily Brackett — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:57:26 +0000

I think a big question is whether your target audience is on facebook the same way they were on the blogs you were visiting. Blogs, in general, have focused content and to link into that can be great for a business that attracts similar clientele. Facebook, on the other hand, is a much larger group, and that may be a good thing or a bad one depending on who you are trying to attract.

By: Jeffrey Tang

Jeffrey Tang — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:13:46 +0000

That’s an interesting theory, Paul, though I’m not sure I entirely agree. I think Facebook Pages are better used as support for other web marketing campaigns – such as blogs.
I’m not saying that Facebook Pages are ineffective; on the contrary, I think you make a very good point about testing the waters. However, a platform like Facebook is limited by virtue of being a platform – its users are dependent on its policies and continued survival. In contrast, a blog is under the author’s direct control, giving it a kind of longevity that Facebook doesn’t have.