Don't "Like" Me No More!

It's official now. No more vouching for Facebook 'Likes'. These 'Fans' mostly don't convert to real customers at all. In an era when every company is busy in marketing itself in social media, here comes a big block- "Likes" doesn't give that same amount in sales. So what does?

So lets get back to old school now. It's the Reach factor that contributes to a company. A study by PageLever shows that only 6 % Reach is accomplished by brands who have more than a million fans. So why this odd factor? Many respondents say that the fan-base mainly leap-frogged because one fan told his friend to become a fan and this system went nuclear. Let me put of the chart from Mashable.

                    

After this intriguing data, what should one company do so that the Reach increases? But before it, let me tell you who the flag-bearers, or brands that have managed to attain top-notch Reach.Total brand Likes are shown at the top of the image, new Likes for the specific posts are at the bottom of the image.

So after seeing these iconic brands and their posts, did you mark something? Sometimes, the tried, trusted and familiar can sometimes work well on Facebook. Well, lets see 5 ways in which one can increase the Facebook Reach.

First, let’s review the EdgeRank trifecta. EdgeRank is the algorithm used by Facebook to determine the most screen-worthy content. Three factors, multiplied together, determine your content’s value: affinity, weight and time. The affinity score is based on how often a fan has engaged with your brand content in the past, including page visits. Weight, or popularity, is determined by the type and quantity of engagement your post receives (e.g. Likes, comments). Lastly, time and the decay of your post matters; as your content ages and engagement wanes, it becomes less relevant and therefore less likely to appear in a user’s news feed.

Studies show that lengthy Facebook content goes unread and discourages action on the part of the user. Brief, easily digestible posts make it easier for users to consume and interact.

Timely posts increase fan excitement, generate spikes in engagement and allow for further reach. Keep an eye out for relevant current events and don’t forget to post about holidays if they’re consistent with your brand voice. Fans want to engage — sometimes they just need an invitation.

It’s still true that no matter what you try, quality content is the most important factor to expand Facebook reach. Provide your fans with valuable content to properly enable your posts to go further. When it comes to format, photos are the most engaging form of content that brands can post. Eye-catching and easy-to-consume photos are also weighed more heavily by Facebook when determining EdgeRank.

Asking questions of your fans is a great way to encourage comments and keep your post visible. Research by Buddy Media shows that employing the words “where,” “when,” “would” and “should” increases engagement. Posts that include “would” consistently yield the greatest interaction because they allow fans to agree through a simple “like” rather than writing a comment.

Fans love to know their favorite brands are listening, and many social media managers often overlook this. Answer questions asked in the comments section or simply say, “Thanks!” Be sure to tag the fan in your response so he’s notified of the special attention.

Facebook Insights provides administrators with the “Friends of Fans” metric, telling admins just how many people they can potentially reach organically. Friends of fans are extremely important — they are more likely to visit a brand’s Facebook Page or website, purchase a brand’s products and become fans themselves. Organically, these Facebook fans can easily be reached through the Facebook Ticker, which tracks all user activity. Keep your fans interacting with your brand, and their friends will see all “liking” activity, comments and posts in the top right of their news feed.

Now, for a not-so-organic tactic: Facebook Ads. With Facebook Ads, you can specifically target just your fans’ friends and leverage their relationship. Facebook Ads are not just a way to reach your fans’ friends, but also your competitor’s fans and your own fans.

More: BI Brand Posts 2012

Nike: Parallel Journeys

I don’t know whether any of you have seen Nike’s Parallel Journeys campaign? It’s probably one of the best campaigns I’ve seen from Nike. Ok, so I may be slightly biased and may have a bit of a soft spot for cricket and India.

The campaign captures young cricket athletes relentless quest for perfection, it doesn’t matter where they are, what they play, whether pro or amateur, you are given an insight into their journey, their training, hard work, dedication and desire to achieve success in the sport. The film’s culminates perfectly with Nike’s “Just do it” slogan.

The ad has been beautifully shot in various locations around India; Delhi, Ladakh, Pondicherry, Indore, Jodhpur, Varanasi, Mumbai to name a few places. I feel as though it truly captures the essence of India, the diversity of the cultural different parts of India, the varying age groups, religions, the variation in players economic backgrounds, however everyone is bought together by the sport.

All of this of course doesn't come cheap and the commercial is rumoured to be one of the most expensive made in India. While none of those associated with it are willing to comment, ad business moles suggest a price tag of Rs 4 crore. It appears to be money well spent going by the feedback at least within the industry.

There are no actors in the film, - just authentic players of the game from various corners of the country. To capture them, the crew travelled to homes, buses, trains, boats, gyms, chawls, gullies, colonies, schools, clubs and playgrounds that are the grooming grounds for cricket crazy Indian youth, across geographies.

So, after all the hype and discussion, did the ad work? I think, yes. It makes people go emotional for cricket again. It also sends the message clearly that one should follow his/her passion no matter what the hurdles be. This ad is a hit as far as I am concerned.