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Marketing a Super City: 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis

February 2, 2012 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Marketing Indianapolis for the Super Bowl - 2012As Indianapolis gears up to host one of this year’s biggest events — Super Bowl XLVI — I can’t help but notice all of the marketing and promotion the city has done to ensure that it makes a great impression on all who visit this week. Everywhere I look, I see banners on storefronts welcoming “Super Fans,” ads offering “Super Discounts,” and more. And of course, most of the planning for this event was done well in advance of the festivities all over the circle city. There were committees to put in place every last detail — from the super scarves and the gift baskets and cards in hotel rooms, the “Super Service” training for volunteers and business owners — to the websites and social media outreach. As a branding effort, Indianapolis has done a superb job of presenting itself as a world-class city, worthy of hosting any major event in the future. I am truly impressed and proud of my city!

Indianapolis, Indiana downtown at sunset

Indianapolis, Indiana: Marketing a Super City

If you are a business owner in Indianapolis, have you fully taken advantage of all of the opportunities to join in the festivities, even if you cannot afford a game ticket like most of us? Here are some ideas:

  • Attend Super-related business events and social events around the community. You never know who you might meet and how it could impact your business. Wear your local company logo’d shirt and stand in line to ride the zipline for some free advertising! :)
  • Reach out to your customers in a Super Way: Offer a special, game-day or game-week discount in your weekly e-newsletter or in-store.
  • Display game-day signage to welcome customers and visitors. Even if you’re not a football fan, you’ll show everyone that you’re in the spirit and give a good impression for those visiting you for the first time.
  • Throw a party: Like I mentioned, most people cannot afford a ticket to the big game, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be lots of Super Bowl parties going on all around the city. Use this as a chance to invite some key customers, prospects, partners or vendors to your office or home to watch the game.
  • Game-related PR: Is your business doing something special for the Super Bowl? Tell the local media about it, and you might just score some free publicity — maybe even some national coverage.
  • Don’t forget the post-game wrap-up: Just because the game is over and the hundreds of thousands of fans have left town, doesn’t mean you can’t capitalize on all of the fanfare. There will be plenty of talk surrounding the game and the city of Indianapolis for weeks after the event. Mention it in your communication or offer a post-game special.

Most importantly, take a lesson from Indianapolis when you are thinking about your marketing and advertising efforts. Even though you don’t have an entire city of volunteers to help promote your brand, you can look at Indianapolis as a good example of a marketing maven that got the job done.

PS: If anyone happens to have any extra Super Bowl tickets for Sunday that they’re willing to give away, I’m available! :)

Filed Under: Advertising, Event Planning, Indianapolis advertisting Tagged With: , , ,

Disney – the Marketing Machine:

August 3, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

What we can learn from Disney to Market Our Businesses

It had been years since my parents had taken me to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, so when the time came to take my two daughters, Elaina (4) and Evelyn (2 1/2) to Disney World this summer, I was more than excited to see what had changed. I was also eager to look at the company and the experience from a different perspective (a marketing angle), since launching my Indianapolis marketing business in 2005. Why not learn from one of the masters of marketing? So when we arrived with our extended family for our 2-day adventure, I took note. Here were some of the things I noticed:

    Elaina & Evelyn at Disney World, waiting for the Country Bear Jamboree show to begin

    Evelyn & Elaina at Disney World, waiting for the Country Bear Jamboree show to begin

  • Keeping it Classic: The old, familiar Dumbo ride where I got lost (not once, but twice) as a toddler is the same as it was 30 years ago. The Country Bear Jamboree show was very much like I remembered it (but much cheesier now that I’m an adult). Even the evening electrical light parade through downtown had the same feel to it, even though the light displays were much more modern and elaborate than when I was a child. Disney has done a good job keeping some things classic, so that through the years, they stay consistent in their brand experience. Business Marketing Takeaway: Do you have some things in your business that you hold onto because they hold a special place in customers’ hearts?
  • VIP Treatment: Disney has many options for visitors to make them feel special. For instance, we received “1st Time” buttons for my daughters, which was supposed to give them extra attention throughout the park. And another extra package my daughter, Elaina, got to experience was at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where she received the royal treatment from her own, personal
    Evelyn receiving a special kiss from Sleeping Beauty

    Evelyn receiving a special kiss from Sleeping Beauty, at a princess character breakfast. We will always remember this experience Disney created.

    “fairy godmother” with a princess dress, hair, makeup, tiara and accessories. Despite the 90-degree heat, she didn’t want to take the dress off for most of the day! I also experienced what it was like to see my daughters meet and get autographs from Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White and all of the princesses for the first time at a Disney Character breakfast. These experiences made the Disney trip extra special for them (and for me), and were worth the extra cost. Business Marketing Takeaway: Could you offer some kind of VIP package or special treatment for customers willing to pay more for the experience?

  • Improving Customer Service: One of the coolest features of the two days at Magic Kingdom were the Fast Passes. These allowed us to avoid waiting in 90-minute lines with impatient toddlers just to enjoy a 60-second boat ride. We were able to skip around between several rides by picking up a Fast Pass ticket, and then coming back later to ride the ride or see the show with no more than a 10-minute wait. Disney has done a great job with this system, because it alleviates a common complaint that visitors have had for years — lines are long during peak operating season — and improves the overall customer satisfaction with the Disney Experience. Business Marketing Takeaway: Is there something you could improve upon in your current business process to enhance the customer experience, wait time or service expected?
  • Creating Memories (and Brand Evangelists): Aside from the many Mickey Mouse eared-souvenirs we could purchase from the various gift shops throughout Magic Kingdom, Disney also gave us a photo pass, which we could use to get our picture taken in various places throughout the park. While in concept, it’s a great idea for an additional service offered (and who wants to tote around a digital camera all day?) the drawback to this was the $15 per photo price tag, which made it a negative for me. One marketing tactic that I think they’ve done well with is their “Let the Memories Begin” ad campaign. If you’ve seen the TV spots or magazine ads, they feature submissions from real families visiting the parks, sharing a photo or video of their experience with Disney parks. One photo shows a family riding the famous teacups ride, and another features a video of two parents (and the children’s reaction) telling their kids that they’re packing their bags for Disney.  The website also allows you to share your own memory, and thus feeds the emotional connection between the Disney brand and the customer/visitor. They have also re-purposed these memories on their social media sites, blogs, ad campaigns and more for greater impact. Business Marketing Takeaway: How can you create an emotional bond with your company and its customers, and get them to share their experiences with others, as brand evangelists?

Overall, I was very impressed with my most recent trip to Walt Disney World – from the hotel staff at the resort to the rides and the experiences. And I was even more impressed with Disney’s marketing prowess. Hopefully you can learn a few lessons from a marketing master on how to improve your marketing and customer experience.

Filed Under: Advertising, Branding, Customer Service, National Brands Tagged With: , , , , ,

Death of Former Advertising Mentor Makes Me Evaluate, Appreciate Life

July 26, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Normally I like to keep my blog posts fairly professional, but this time my personal and professional lives have overlapped a bit, so I have decided to share.

Dana-BuerkettThis past Sunday morning, one of my first real bosses, Dana Buerkett, died tragically, along with her husband and daughter, in a small plane crash just outside my college town, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. To read more about the accident, and the family impacted, click here.

I still remember, as a college junior, sending out cover letters and resumes to area advertising agencies, hoping to get an internship the summer before I graduated. Buerkett Marketing Consultants was one of the agencies who responded, and I was so excited to get a call from Dana saying that I could work for her that summer (and she was going to pay me too! :)

As an intern, I didn’t just get to make coffee, send faxes (we did that back then) and take notes during meetings. Dana gave me a lot of responsibility, and allowed me to learn the ropes in the advertising world. Back in 1997, the Internet world was fairly new. I remember updating Amazon bestsellers in HTML on a news magazine website, and helping brainstorm for advertising headlines and taglines. I participated in event management and online advertising sales. I even got to assist in judging for a student advertising competition.

Dana helped me to learn a lot about running an advertising agency, as well as how to treat clients and partners. It made me excited to enter my chosen field, and although she didn’t have a job for me out of college, we kept in touch over the years, and I had recently written a recommendation for her on LinkedIn. I will always appreciate her guidance and willingness to give a new advertising grad a great start. My prayers go out to Dana’s daughter, as well as her other family and friends during this sad time.

Upon reflection of this horrific event, I have been reminded of the precious value of each day, and hope that I can always make the most of every moment — both as a marketing professional and as a wife, mother, sister, daughter and person. My wish is that you, too, will value each day and live it as if it’s your last.

Filed Under: Advertising

Creating the Perfect Marketing Strategy without Copying It

July 3, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment
Just as no snowflake is alike, your business marketing plan should be different too

Just as no snowflake is alike, your business marketing plan should be different too

Not all businesses are created equal, right?

So quit marketing and advertising your business like everyone else.

My point is simple: Find the right combination of advertising, marketing, PR and promotional activities that fit the unique offering, customer base and budget of your business, and you’ll find success.

Don’t just jump on the Twitter or Facebook marketing bandwagon because the company down the street has found success with it.  Or, alternatively, spend thousands on one strategy while ignoring others that might prove effective.

Creating the perfect marketing strategy does involve some trial and error. Gently test the waters of any new marketing tactic and see what kind of results you get, before investing huge sums. However, with that said, you also need to give each marketing tactic enough time and impressions to see results, so don’t give up too early.

So how should you go about creating a marketing plan or strategy for your business?

Many business owners want to skip this step of creating a marketing plan. But it’s very important to the future success of the business. While I highly recommend a formal, written down and thought out marketing plan, if you don’t want to pay a professional like myself to develop one, you should at least sit down and analyze the basics of your business:

  1. Define your product/service, niche, industry, competitors, unique selling proposition (USP), price point, and primary/secondary target audiences.
  2. From there, investigate all possible advertising/marketing/PR/promotional options available, along with associated cost, audience reached, timing and other details. Include the cost of your time as well in these estimates.
  3. Then make a recommendation of a combination of these tactics to try and put them in a marketing calendar for the upcoming quarter/year.
  4. Evaluate the effectiveness of each tactic when determining whether to renew your investment in it.

A simple way to a marketing strategy that works for you. Just remember: All businesses are different, and thus the ways used to promote them should be unique as well.

Filed Under: Advertising, Budget Marketing, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Twitter, USP Tagged With: , , ,

Traditional Versus Online Advertising: What’s Your Share?

April 28, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment
Wanted to share with you an article I wrote this month, which was featured in an e-newsletter of a colleague of mine, Janet Falkenberg of ExecuStrive, an Indianapolis virtual assistant firm. Thanks, Janet, for letting me share this article with my Indianapolis business colleagues.

Do you consider yourself a “traditional marketer”? Are you spending a majority of your marketing and advertising budget on offline activities, such as yellow pages ads, print advertising, coupons and billboards, because “that’s what our company has always done”? Are you wondering whether these methods are still paying off, or whether you’re spending too much in these areas for the return on investment?
Billboard Advertising - Traditional Advertising

Are you more of a fan of traditional advertising or online advertising?

Many companies have not yet maximized the opportunities that exist to market their businesses online. Some of the options available include:
  • Websites
  • Search engine optimization
  • Email marketing
  • Blogs
  • Pay-per-click advertising (Google AdWords)
  • Social media marketing (YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook)
Finding More Clients Online
Don’t get me wrong: traditional advertising has its place, and for some businesses, it’s the best method of reaching the ideal client. However, more people are using the Internet to research businesses and make purchases online rather than searching in yellow pages or in their local newspaper. With online marketing, your business could increase its brand awareness and lead generation exponentially using some of these online marketing methods. So you are missing out on a potential audience if you don’t at least consider online marketing as part of your overall strategy.
But where should you start?
Outsourcing your Online Marketing Efforts
Many business owners don’t have the skills or technical knowledge to use online marketing, or are overwhelmed with the idea of incorporating online marketing tools. In this case, it’s best to ask a marketing professional for help. They can steer you toward the right online marketing tactics that best fit your budget, target audience and sales goals. A professional can also create a marketing calendar of activities, as well as help you set up your online marketing plan and implement your online marketing program too.
For instance, if you had a plumbing company, and your website that was optimized for search terms such as ‘Indianapolis plumbing’ or ‘Indiana plumbing company,’ you could be generating hundreds of leads for your business each day, just from web searches alone. Couple this with blogging, a YouTube channel showing plumbing tips, and a modest pay-per-click advertising campaign, and you’ve got more leads than you can handle – all at a lower cost than one month of your yellow pages ad. Do you see the potential?
Integrating Online and Offline Marketing
Many businesses find it best to integrate both online and offline marketing methods in order to achieve greater results at a lower cost.  If you’ve always spent $1500/month on billboard advertising and $1000/month on yellow page advertising, for example, we can look at how you could reduce your spend in traditional media and move some of that budget to online media. In most cases, you can market your business online at a much lower cost than traditional advertising.
I hope you can see the value of incorporating Internet marketing into your current efforts. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results and — the return for the cost — that it can bring for your business.

Filed Under: Advertising, Blogging, Business, Indianapolis Marketing, Indianapolis advertisting, Marketing Strategy, Marketing-Mix, Outsourced Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Website Development Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Frick and Frack of Blogging and Networking

April 18, 2011 By Susan Young Leave a Comment
Today’s guest post is by friend and professional ghost blogger Rhoda Israelov, President of Say It For You.

Rhoda Israelov of Say It For You

Last summer, for two entire weeks, my Say It For You blog posts were focused on the concept of “learning around” and “reading around” for your blog. The gist of those posts was that it’s really hard to keep blog content writing fresh and engaging if you’re not continually learning from everything you read and everybody you meet. Meeting, of course, entails getting out and going places and – networking. And, while I certainly do my share of social networking online, right now what I want to talk about is old-style networking, you know, the kind where you actually go to meetings, shake hands, and exchange business cards, keeping your ears, eyes – and mind – open to learning new things.

I blame master blogger Seth Godin for my preoccupation with keeping score. (Godin issued a challenge at the beginning of the current year, asking “What did you ship in 2010?”, with “shipping” meaning accomplishment).  Well, Seth, when it comes to “shipping” network meetings, by my count, I’ve attended no fewer than 43 so far this calendar year.

As a professional ghost blogger and corporate blogging trainer, you might suggest my time would’ve been better spent in front of my computer blogging rather than running around to all those meetings!
The point, of course, is not to accumulate networking belt notches, but to learn what’s goin’ on.  What are people thinking?  What’s the talk?  What’s happening in different industries?  Who’s a player? Who’s not but has interesting views on things?  All those tidbits and threads find their way into sessions where I offer business blogging help, and into blog posts – those I write for my Say It For You blog and those where I’m an “invisible” freelance SEO writer helping drive online traffic for various client companies.

So… how do you use all that wonderful networking experience into your blog content writing?
Best practices:
When someone you meet is telling you about their business, find out what “best practices” they use to run their business efficiently and ethically.  In your blog post, quote them, linking back to their website (this tactic is itself a form of use your blog as a networking tool!) and then show how one of those best practices is applied in your business.
Similes:
Remember back in junior high English when we learned about similes, things that are “like” something else?  You’ve talked with someone at a networking meeting and she’s told you about some new device or strategy used in her business.  In your blog, tell how that device or strategy is a parallel to something your business uses.
Thought trends:
At networking meetings, keep your ears open for “hot topics” – what are people worried about, happy about, or wanting to do something about – NOW!  If you can hit those hot buttons in your blog, sharing concerns and demonstrating that your service or product can be part of the solution – bingo!
This all goes back to the inspirational story about the young man who worked so hard felling trees he neglected to sharpen his axe.  In-person networking is nothing more than keeping your thinking sharp.  That, in turn, will be reflected in your “sharp”, up-to-date and interest-engaging business blog writing!

Filed Under: Advertising

AimFire Marketing’s Holiday Resource Guide

November 19, 2010 By Susan Young 1 Comment
Here are a few vendors for corporate gifts and services this holiday season (Note: I meet many wonderful vendors throughout the year, so if you are in need of other options, let me know and I’ll see what I can find for you):

Hand-Addressed Holiday Cards for Your Business? Check.
Hand-Addressed Holiday Cards for Your Business? Check.
  • Holiday Card Addressing Service: Janet Falkenberg at ExecuStrive will hand-address 100 of your business holiday cards to clients and colleagues for just $60. Think of how much time that saves! Just sign and give her the list and stamps and she’ll even mail and deliver them for you! Personalized holiday cards also available for purchase. Contact her at (317) 440-0255 for more details.
  • Half-Off Embroidery Set-up Charge on Embroidered Gift Items: I’m working with Nancy Gates of Embroidery Designz to order some AimFire Marketing logo shirts for my family and clients this year. For a limited time, contact Nancy to get 50% off your logo setup charge. Check out her catalog for selection of embroidered items, with many items under $20. Order ASAP for holiday delivery. Other Friends of mine offering Embroidery: Becky Brown of Countryside Promotions and Tom Albert of EmbroidMe.

A Silly Bracelet in the Shape of Your Logo? Check.
A Silly Bracelet in the Shape of Your Logo? Check.
  • Silly Rubber Bracelets in the Shape of Your Logo? My friend and promotional product provider, Bruce Steinman of ImagePros can make it happen. Whether you personalize a fleece blanket, mug, pen, notebook or stress reliever, ImagePros will work with you to find the best corporate gift that fits your company image and budget. Contact him at (317) 489-6530 or visit his website. He can also help you with digital promotions for all of your social media campaigns. Another colleague in the promo products industry: Susan Fryer of Wolf Run Marketing.
  • Your Logo on a Spatula – Support the Indiana Entrepreneurs that created The Sportula – and get your logo on a heavy-duty grilling spatula. Turnaround time is 30 days on any pieces under 1000, and minimum order is 50 pieces. Call Marc Roth at 866-369-1552 or visit their website. They sell Nascar, collegiate (I’m still waiting on the University of Illinois) and other enthusiast ones too.
  • Print Your Own Company Cookbook or Write that First Book: Tracy Winters of Winters Publishing is your self-publishing resource. Whether your team wants to put together a company cookbook (or as a fundraiser for an organization), whether you’ve been waiting to publish your first professional book to help you gain more credibility or get speaking opporunities, or have always wanted to write a children’s book, Winters Publishing can help. Call them at (812) 663-4948. Also check out their online bookstore and see upcoming releases.

Company Vehicle Wrapped? Check.
Company Vehicle Wrapped? Check.
  • Wrap Your Car: No, not to give as a gift, but to promote your business, silly! The folks at TKO Graphics can wrap your vehicle fleet or just your family car with your business name and logo. With billboard ads costing several thousand per month, why not promote your business while you drive and gain brand awareness wherever you go?
  • A Taste of Indiana: Do you always give a food or goodie gift basket to clients? Why not go local? Talk to Mark Kolbus of A Taste of Indiana for affordable, yummy creations. Custom packaging and items with your logo also available. Call him at (800) 289-2758 or visit their website.

Do you have another good resource for my Holiday Resource Guide? Want to add your business’ special (Indianapolis Market Only)? Add a comment to my blog post and I’ll consider it. Thanks and happy shopping!

Filed Under: Book Publicity, Branding, Business, Indianapolis Marketing, Indianapolis advertisting, Marketing, Promotional Products, Seasonal Marketing, Tradeshow Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

Stop Waiting for the Magic Bullet: Get a Marketing Plan

November 9, 2010 By Susan Young 1 Comment

As a marketing consultant for Indianapolis area small businesses, I work with a lot of start-up companies as well as other consultants. When they begin working with me, they are often overwhelmed with the many options for marketing their businesses and want me to provide some clarity.

My response is to ask if they have a current (or previously created) marketing plan. If they don’t, I tell them that they need to get one.  “Why?” They say. “I just want to know how to market my business. You’re the expert, right? Give me some ideas.”

Well, I’m going to be a downer here and tell you that there is no magic bullet for marketing your business.

If you’re marketing your business without a plan, you’re probably wasting some money somewhere.

If you want me to create an advertisement, an email campaign, a sales letter or whatever, sure, I can create it. But I can’t guarantee that it will be successful — especially if I haven’t taken the time to understand your business, your industry and your competitors; evauate all of the various advertising options and pricing; determine what your messaging should be to achieve your goal, etc.  

Even for businesses who start out with a business plan, I challenge them with this question: Do you really have a marketing plan? That is, do you have a comprehensive analysis of your industry, target markets, competitors, associations, local or trade media, current customers, marketing messages, as well as all advertising and marketing options available, budget breakdown, timelines and more?

In most cases, business plans don’t go into as much depth on the marketing activities, options and budgets, and are not written from a marketer’s perspective. It’s not just about the different marketing tactics that you have available, but determining the right combination of activities to choose based on that individual company’s products/services, budget, sales goals, target audience, etc.

In order to succeed in marketing your business, you need a road map for your business that will get you to your desired business goals. Maybe it’s social media marketing. Maybe it’s SEO. Maybe it’s email marketing. Or a combination of many different marketing tactics. You won’t know this until you spend the time upfront to uncover it.

I know it’s easier to just start marketing. But trust me, it’s worth it to do your homework first.

Want to know some more bad news? Even when you do your research and create a marketing plan, marketing is still a crap shoot. Your television ad or direct mail piece may not pull a great response. But you will have a greater chance of success if you know your audience, competitors and options before spending your marketing budget on a particular marketing tactic. And that requires a marketing plan.

Otherwise, you’re just shooting in the dark and hoping to hit your target. I don’t like those odds.

Filed Under: Advertising, Advertising Budget, Indianapolis Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Plans, Marketing Strategy, Marketing-Mix Tagged With: , ,

Waiting for Business to Improve? Start Marketing!

October 19, 2010 By Susan Young 1 Comment

A recent SmartBrief for Entrepreneurs online poll asked its readers the question:  “What is your top spending priority once business begins to improve?”

Results (as of this afternoon) included:

  • Hiring new workers (32%)
  • Investing in new technology / equipment (25%)
  • Boosting advertising / marketing (22%)

Somehow this doesn’t compute. So a company that wishes to grow should wait to hire new workers, invest in new technologies, and boost their marketing efforts?

Wouldn’t a new salesperson help your business sell more? Wouldn’t new technologies give you a better competitive advantage? Wouldn’t increasing marketing efforts lead to increased lead generation and ultimately sales?

I have seen this over the last two years with small businesses in Indianapolis who are afraid to invest in marketing because the economy is bad, and they’re waiting for business to pick up. But this is precisely the time to focus on marketing your business! If you don’t have the visibility, your prospects will not know you exist when they are ready to make a purchase decision. Waiting for the economy to turn around is not a viable business strategy. It’s one that will put you out of business.

What are your thoughts?

Filed Under: Advertising Budget, Budget Marketing, Marketing Strategy Tagged With: , ,

Social Media Marketing: Facebook Fan Page Promotion Tips

October 11, 2010 By Susan Young Leave a Comment

Many businesses have created Facebook Fan Pages, and perhaps you are one of them. But has your marketing team been having trouble coming up with ideas for content? Here are some suggestions for beefing up your Facebook Fan page in order to increase the number of fans, repeat visitors, interaction and lead generation:

  1. Coupons: Many companies have started offering coupons or discounts via their Facebook fan pages. National brands have been doing this for some time. I will often “Like” certain brand’s Facebook pages in order to print coupons for free samples, foods that I would like to try, or discounts on products that I already buy. The viral marketing effect of this can be exponential. For example, my favorite breakfast food is my ZonePerfect chocolate almond raisin bar, and on their Facebook page recently, you could request a free sample of their newest flavor, Cookie Doughlicious.  Nabisco Cookies’ Facebook page also offered a deal where you could print a coupon for free cookies when you purchased cookies and milk. But you don’t have to have a national brand to offer coupons or discounts. The Indianapolis Zoo recently
    Indianapolis Zoo's Facebook Fan page

    Indianapolis Zoo's Facebook Fan page

    offered a discount admission through its fan page, which actually got me to take my kids to the zoo last month, since I hadn’t done so all summer (beware of the added $6 parking fee ;) Simply paste a graphic or link to a file with your coupon so fans can print and redeem your coupon. Make sure to include a code so that you can track responses. And also make sure that you don’t lose your shirt on coupons or samples, and are able to keep up with the demand that the new business might bring.

  2. Make Important Announcements: Pampers used their Facebook page to announce their new line of designer diapers by Cynthia Rowley. This also allowed them to gain feedback via comments regarding the acceptance of the new line. Your company announcement could be as simple as welcoming a new member to your team, highlighting a recent client win, or promoting your company’s involvement in a local charitable event.
  3. Survey your Customers: Want to know what’s on the mind of your customers, partners or prospects? Create a poll in Facebook and find out! The poll could be a simple one about which flavor of your product they like best, which topics keep your customers up at  night, or what they think of a given subject. As long as your survey ties back into your business somehow, you have unlimited options. You can also simply ask a question of your fans to solicit feedback on any topic of concern.
  4. Event Promotion: Companies can announce special events or workshops they are hosting through their Facebook fan pages, and encourage attendance. My sister’s employer, Supranet, a  Madison, Wisconsin Internet Service Provider, hosts monthly high-tech happy hours, along with customer appreciation nights, and promotes the events through their Facebook Fan page. They even post pictures of the event to drive traffic back to their fan page following the event. Facebook shouldn’t necessarily be your main source of event promotion, but it can definitely be one good avenue for event promotion.
  5. Photos of Customers Using Your Product / Brand: Supranet also does this with their “Supranet Sightings” – where they encourage people to wear their Supranet T-shirts and post a photo on Facebook, where it may appear on their fan page. This encourages both employees, partners and customers to keep your brand visible, and puts a little fun into the mix too. Both Huggies and Pampers do this by allowing their customers to post photos of their babies wearing their products. Restaurants could have customers post pictures of their dishes, or eating at their restaurant, or posing with their mascot. Domino’s Pizza has done this with its “ShowUsUrPizza” tab, and offers customers $500 if a winning photo is displayed on their fan page. Domino’s promotion also has a goal of educating its customers on its promise not to artificially manipulate the pizzas shown in their advertisements (just “honest to goodness pizzas”). How about showing before and after photos of clients (example: local hair salon or car repair shop)? How can your customers showcase your brand or product/service in use on your Facebook fan page?
  6. Articles or Blog Posts: Facebook is also a good way to promote recent blog posts, as the goal is to share relevant content with your fan base. You can share articles you or your team have written, or link to other reputable articles which might be of interest to your fans. I do this a lot on my AimFire Marketing Facebook Fan Page, which, by the way, you should become a fan of if you haven’t already! :)
  7. Fan page for 12Stars Media - an Indianapolis media production company

    Fan page for 12Stars Media - an Indianapolis media production company

    Videos or Advertisements: Online videos are a great way to interact with your fan base. My friends over at 12StarsMedia post a lot of videos for clients as well as for their own promotional efforts (plus, I suspect they have a ton of fun producing them). Your video doesn’t have to be a boring, company overview. You can interview or highlight customers at an event, survey random people on the street about a topic relevant to your industry, or feature a new product or service and show us how it works. 12 Stars does a good job with the Indy Children’s Museum and their Weekly WOW videos. They promote their YouTube feed through their fan page.

  8. Talk about what’s new or relevant: Simply using your Facebook fan page as a conversation starter is a great way to make your fan page more interactive. Simply ask customers what they’re eating for lunch, what their favorite thing is about the Fall season, or some other relevant topic. If it’s something in the news recently, or on people’s minds, they will look to share the information. Just start the conversation and keep it rolling.

I hope I’ve given you some new ways to look at your Facebook fan page. Now you can be on your way to creating more relevant and compelling content for your fans and increasing your fan following. Let me know in the comments below if you have other ideas or examples of good Fan pages.

Filed Under: Advertising, Event Planning, Facebook, Social Media Marketing Tagged With: , , , ,
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AimFire Marketing is an Indianapolis marketing, public relations, website development, search engine optimization and social media marketing agency.