Honestly, we didn't write this book to school you on the fundamentals of social media. In fact, we wrote it for experienced marketers like you, who have established lucrative social media channels for their businesses, and continue to forge meaningful connections with the customers, fans, and followers they serve. Because like you, we're enthusiastic about the ongoing impact social media can have on businesses in the future.
2. Introduction
We didn’t write this book to school you
on the fundamentals of social media.
In fact, we wrote it for experienced marketers like you, who have established lucrative
social media channels for their businesses, and continue to forge meaningful
connections with the customers, fans, and followers they serve. Because like you,
we’re enthusiastic about the ongoing impact social media can have on businesses
in the future.
But we also understand that there are those among us who don’t share our
enthusiasm. Despite the fact that a growing number of consumers are using social
media to engage the brands they love, and to engage fellow consumers who share
that love, there are those who say that social media is an immeasurable and passing
fad, with no real impact on one’s bottom line.
We’re confident this book will demonstrate otherwise.
ExactTarget’s Social Media Quick Plays features eight powerful, measurable social
media tactics that can double and even triple your ROI. Tactics, that when powered
by tools like SocialEngage and SocialPages, will allow you to listen, engage, publish,
measure, and scale in ways in ways you may have never imagined.
Table of contents
The Likeable Invitation 1
The Photo Op 2
The Personalized Promotion 3
The Compelling Coupon 4
The Amender 5
The Cunning Crowdsourcer 6
The Custom Crossover 7
The Geo-Targeter 8
Conclusion 9
Glossary of Terms 10
* Indicates a clickable item that redirects you to the Glossary of Terms for definition.
3. Play #1:
the likeable invitation
It pays to be liked.
According to a recent case study by Forrester Research, Facebook users who liked
the Facebook page of a popular smartphone manufacturer were 5.6 times more
likely to have purchased the brand’s device than non-fans. For a major soft drink
brand, a staggering 95 percent were more likely to purchase one of its products.
Simply put, consumers tend to buy from brands whose Facebook pages they like.
If it pays to be liked, it stands to reason that your page should garner as many likes
as possible. We recommend using your subscriber list to grow your fan base by
emailing invites to your Facebook page.
Use email to invite customers
to like your Facebook page.
1. Use ExactTarget Email* to build and manage your email campaign.
With ExactTarget email, you can create persuasive emails inviting customers to like your
Facebook page using a wide range of user-friendly content creation tools.
2. Build a compelling Facebook page with SocialPages*.
Build, manage, and track your Facebook page from one easy-to-use platform using
ExactTarget’s SocialPages—without the need for complicated coding.
3. Use Fan-Gated Content* to incentivize fan conversion.
Fan-gated content requires that users like your page to view special offers. Create compelling
content that only fans can view and visitors will like to access.
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4. Play #2:
The Photo Op
A picture is worth 1,000 likes.
It’s a simple concept: Invite customers to take pictures of themselves engaged
with your products or services, and share them on Facebook. Photo contests
are among the most popular on Facebook, and they can supercharge a brand’s
following overnight.
In 2011, a leading cosmetics brand hosted a Facebook contest inviting users to
upload photos of their lipstick-laden lips—to be judged by a jury of their peers—for
a chance to be featured as the “cover photo” for their Facebook page in Switzerland.
183 users submitted photos, while over 9,000 voted for their favorite. In just three
weeks, the brand attracted 10,000 new fans to their Facebook page.
What better way to showcase your products in a social environment than in the
hands of REAL customers? Consider a Facebook photo contest that highlights the
experiences your products offer.
CREATE A FACEBOOK PHOTO CONTEST
TO ATTRACT NEW FOLLOWERS OF YOUR BRAND.
1. Create a simple contest that interests your audience.
You already know the likes and interests of your audience. So devise a contest you’re sure
they’ll enjoy. And keep it simple!
2. Offer prizes related to your products or services.
You want to attract fans who are genuinely interested in what you do, and not merely in the
rewards you offer. So be sure to choose prizes that complement your industry.
3. Build a powerful Facebook contest with SocialPages* and Strutta*.
You can easily build a powerful Facebook page with the SocialPages editor. And you can
use Strutta—an ExactTarget partner gear—to build and manage your contest with tools for
tracking contest visits, views, votes, and entries from a simple dashboard.
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5. Play #3:
The Personalized Promotion
Create relevant offers
with personal appeal.
Picture this: Jim, a guy in his mid-fifties who loves fishing, receives an email
promotion from his favorite sporting goods store advertising 30 percent off on all
sports bras. It’s a classic case of a poorly targeted offer—an oversight that happens
all too often. And with many of today’s targeted messaging tools, there’s really no
excuse for missing the mark.
It only makes sense to offer your customers products that interest them. So we
suggest building targeted email campaigns and Facebook tabs based on the
attributes of your subscribers and fans.
CREATE MEANINGFUL EMAIL AND FACEBOOK
PROMOTIONS THAT HIT THE MARK.
1. Use ExactTarget Email* to create custom, personalized messages.
With ExactTarget Email’s advanced content management features, you can create
specialized email messages based on criteria you select from a database of your
customers’ preferences.
2. Use SocialPages* and Get Smart Content to feature highly targeted
content on a Facebook tab.
Build your Facebook tab with SocialPages, and customize it with ExactTarget
partner gear, Get Smart Content. Get Smart Content personalizes content for each visitor
to your Facebook tab based on his or her previous engagements with your Facebook
page or website.
3. Sell featured products directly from your Facebook page
with Moontoast*.
Take your targeted content one step further by inviting visitors to purchase your featured
products directly from Facebook. With ExactTarget partner gear, Moontoast, you can
implement a “Social Store” anywhere on your page.
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6. Play #4:
The Compelling Coupon
Create coupons that catch on.
Withstanding the test of time, the coupon has transitioned effortlessly from news
pages to webpages, finding new life in the digital age. Studies repeatedly show that
Facebook campaigns offering coupons receive the highest response rates. In fact,
according to a 2010 ExactTarget study, the top reason consumers like or follow
a brand is to receive special deals and discounts.
So it should come as no surprise that we think coupon offers are an excellent way
to build a following for your brand. Consider offering engaging coupon promotions
on your Facebook page that fans feel compelled to share.
OFFER COMPELLING COUPONS
ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
1. Sweeten the deal as customers like your page.
For example, consider an initial coupon offering for a 15 percent discount, coupled with
an offer to increase the discount to 20 percent, should your page reach a predetermined
threshold of likes. Inviting users to participate in the promotion encourages interaction with
your brand and reaches new fans.
2. Use SocialPages and the Fan-Gated Content* feature to build
your promotion.
ExactTarget’s SocialPages makes it easy to build a coupon promotion within your Facebook
page using a drag-and-drop editor, or custom HTML. And with fan-gated content, you can
require that users like your page to view special offers.
3. Use the Social Profile Connector* to reach out to your most
influential Facebook fans.
With ExactTarget’s Social Profile Connector , you can determine whom your most influential
subscribers are, and reach out to them personally with ExactTarget Email to notify them
of your promotion.
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7. Play #5:
The Amender
Calming a crisis with
constructive conversations.
In early 2010, a major auto manufacturer was faced with a massive recall—one that
received heavy criticism and worldwide media attention. But rather than dodge the
spotlight, they stepped into the middle of it, opening a dialogue and answering
customers questions through social media outlets. In the end, the brand turned
a crisis into an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to their customers,
products, and services.
When mistakes are made, proactively fielding the criticism that follows is imperative.
We recommend making things right by leveraging all of your social media outlets
to engage your fans and followers with meaningful conversations.
MANAGE A CRISIS WITH MEANINGFUL
SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT.
1. Vigorously monitor your brand’s online mentions.
You can’t properly address a crisis if you don’t know what’s being said. And if you’re a big
brand with a large following, important exchanges can be easily missed. Have a system in
place that ensures you’re listening carefully.
2. Reply to criticism and concerns promptly, but sincerely.
While it’s important to consider your dialogue carefully, be sure to address concerns in a
timely manner. Replying five days into a crisis may be too late.
3. Use SocialEngage* to manage all of your social media communication.
Using real-time tools in SocialEngage, you can stay on top of social media activity with
mention alerts, one-click responses to common questions, and a comprehensive
management dashboard.
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8. Play #6:
The Cunning Crowdsourcer
An affordable focus group
at your fingertips.
When a major snack brand decided it wanted to introduce a new potato chip flavor
to its line of products, they turned to their loyal fan base on Facebook, rather than
pursuing their traditional practice of formal market research. The brand invited
participants to pick their ingredients, name their flavors, and share their inspiration
for their entries for a chance to win $1 million dollars. To-date, 1.1 million people
have participated.
When spending big bucks on formal market research isn’t sensible or affordable,
why not tap into your focus group of Facebook fans and Twitter followers? Consider
a crowdsourcing campaign that builds awareness for your brand, while inviting fans
to have a hand in creating the products they love.
TEST THAT NEXT GREAT IDEA WITH THE HELP
OF YOUR TWITTER FOLLOWERS AND FACEBOOK FANS.
1. Manage your entire crowdsourcing campaign with SocialEngage*.
Engage customers with questions, view conversation histories, and organize communication
across all of your social media accounts from one platform with SocialEngage.
2. Manage high volumes of entries with Tags* and Assignments*.
Tags in SocialEngage can help you manage and save idea entries and correspondence
with participants, while assignments divide tasks among your team members.
3. Use Reporting* for key insights into your campaign.
Measure the success of your campaign with SocialEngage Reporting. Combine, print,
and export reports to create tangible results.
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9. Play #7:
The Customer Crossover
Bridge the gap between fans,
followers, and subscribers.
Recently, a leading footwear brand was challenged by a disparity between its email
subscribers and Facebook fans: It had more of the latter than the former. So their
marketing team turned to ExactTarget for ways to even the scales. We helped them
create a tab that greeted visitors to their Facebook page with a 20 percent off coupon
offer in exchange for their contact information. And with every click of the submit
button, subscriber data was immediately funneled directly to a database within
the ExactTarget Email platform, and followed with an automated email welcoming
new subscribers.
To reach any business goal, it’s smart to start with what you already have. We suggest
building a fan or subscriber base from customers who are already enthusiastic about
your brand.
TURN LOYAL FACEBOOK FANS INTO
PROMISING EMAIL SUBCRIBERS.
1. Create an effective Facebook page with SocialPages*.
Using ExactTarget’s SocialPages, build a tab that collects email data without redirecting
users away from Facebook, which can otherwise hinder conversion rates.
2. Use Fan-Gated Content* to encourage likes and info submission.
With Fan-Gated Content in SocialPages, visitors must first like your Facebook page
or submit their user information before accessing your special offer.
3. Manage your growing list of new subscribers with ExactTarget Email*.
ExactTarget Email’s list management tools can organize hundreds of thousands
of subscribers, and create segmented groups based on any combination of user criteria.
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10. Play #8:
The Geo-Targeter
Cater to the customs of consumers
around the world.
When a young music lover started a fan site for Jamaican music enthusiasts,
it seemed only natural to create a Facebook fan page for the project as interest
began to grow. But it wasn’t until he began to geo-target his engagements with
his diverse following when his page’s fandom began to skyrocket. Geo-targeting
enabled him to attract major sponsors and a growing audience of fans from more
than 230 countries. Today, the page boasts over 2.1 million followers.
Geo-targeting allows you to initiate engagements that are more relevant to specific
segments of your diverse fans and followers. We suggest tailoring your messaging
to create stronger connections with consumers around the globe.
BUILD A STRONGER FOLLOWING WITH MORE RELEVANT
ENGAGEMENTS BY GEO-TARGETING.
1. Geo-target your social media messaging with SocialEngage* and
Get Smart Content*.
Draft Facebook posts, Tweets, and other social messages from your SocialEngage
dashboard, and direct them to specific, geographic segments of your audience. Use Get
Smart Content to personalize content for each visitor to your Facebook tab based on his or
her previous engagements with your Facebook page or website.
2. Create Workgroups* and Assignments* to manage specific
geographic areas.
With SocialEngage, you can organize teams around geographic regions using Workgroups,
or assign tasks for certain geographic areas to specific team members.
3. Communicate across the globe with SocialEngage* translation tools.
Translation tools in SocialEngage allow users to read your audience’s social messages
in their native language, no matter what language they were written in.
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11. Conclusion
The future of social media and its
influence on businesses worldwide
is an open book.
And we hope this book has opened you up to the impact it can have on your business
today—right now. Because as long as people remain inherently social, and as long
as there are outlets online inviting them to socialize, social media is here to stay.
To learn more about how ExactTarget’s social media tools can impact your business,
contact us today.
General Inquiries
1.866.362.4538
Online
ExactTarget.com/products
Check out therms
glossary of te
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12. glossary of terms
Assignments:
SocialEngage has a built-in workflow tool that enables users to assign
or claim inbound messages to effectively manage social media as a team.
ExactTarget Email:
ExactTarget’s email marketing solutions enable organizations of all sizes to
power data-driven campaigns and real-time communications, fueling customer
engagement, increasing sales, and improving return on marketing investments.
ExactTarget Social:
ExactTarget’s suite of social media marketing products empower organizations
with advanced tools for accelerating the effectiveness of social marketing
campaigns, and connecting with consumers in real time.
Fan-Gated Content:
Fan-Gated Content is a SocialPages feature that generates content for Facebook
pages requiring users to “like” the page to view special offers or exclusive content.
Get Smart Content™:
Get Smart Content is an ExactTarget partner gear that customizes messages,
images, and calls-to-action on websites and social pages for unique audience
segments and individual users.
Interactive Marketing Hub:
ExactTarget’s Interactive Marketing Hub is a robust management platform linking
all of ExactTarget’s offerings for powerful, comprehensive marketing campaigns
across email, social, mobile, and web.
Moontoast™:
Moontoast is an ExactTarget partner gear and commerce platform that facilitates
engagement and monetization of consumers via social media networks, distributed
affiliate sites, and advertising networks.
Reporting:
Reporting in SocialEngage identifies metrics from social media campaigns
to provide real insights into social marketing efforts.
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13. Smart Capture:
Part of SocialPages, Smart Capture enables users to easily build forms
to collect customer data on Facebook pages, and grow subscriber lists
across channels.
SocialEngage:
Part of ExactTarget Social, SocialEngage enables organizations to manage
unlimited amounts of social media conversations with features that easily
scale to support engagement growth and staffing strategies.
SocialPages:
Part of ExactTarget Social, SocialPages empowers users with a platform
for building branded Facebook fan pages—or revising existing ones—
with custom HTML and an intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
Social Profile Connector:
Social Profile Connector is a service that interfaces with Klout—
a web-based social media influence measurement tool—to retrieve public
subscriber user-data, such as topics of interest, Twitter use, and overall
“social influence” scores.
Strutta™:
Strutta is an ExactTarget partner gear that makes it easy for marketers
to build, launch, and manage powerful social promotions with do-it-
yourself tools.
Tags:
Tags in SocialEngage help users track, measure, and notify internal team
members about inbound messages. Tags can be customized according
to location, product line, brand, business unit, topic, and more.
Workgroups:
Workgroups can be created in SocialEngage for the purpose of dividing
workflows among large social media marketing management teams.
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