The four steps of a Facebook launch
Do you want to launch a campaign or appear on Facebook? Regardless of the brand, product or cause, a launch follows four steps.
You must first bring together and invite to this page a number of fans. There are various options, beyond the traditional way of inviting your friends.
a) Advertising
Facebook Ad is extremely reliable to bring fans together. For a reasonable fee, you can easily target the people who could be interested by this page. (You will find more information about Facebook Ad here)
b) Use the company’s database
When launching a page, you can start by inviting the company’s employees. If you have access to the client database, it means that they have already bought the product. If you have announced your new Facebook page, there will most probably become your first fans.
Don’t forget all the partners that are close to the company, such as vendors or subcontractors.
c) Interact with other pages or people who could be interested in the topic
A nice message that is specific to the person or page is enough. But be careful not to create simplistic advertisement; rather, be part of the ongoing discussion and remain consistent.
d) Other web entry points
Companies often forget to announce their page on their website, email signatures, newsletters or blogs.
e) Mass media
Don’t forget to announce your Facebook page in all media, just like a web address. As soon as you reach 25 fans, you can rename the page with a simple url that is easy to remember. You can thus mention the full address and not just the shortcut “like us on Facebook”.
a) Interaction rate
You have just reached 5,000, 10,000 or 15,000 fans! You now need to make them active. You have to animate the page so that the fans are happy that they joined. This activation phase should aim at increasing interactions by at least 1% above the industry’s benchmark. This rate is reached through the following calculation: the percentage of the number of people “that talk about it” on the number of people that “like the page.”
b) Posts
You can post text and images, but don’t overdo it. From an organization perspective, we suggest that you prepare your posts and sort them at least according to length, posting hour, subject, with/without picture. A month later, you will have statistics that will tell you which posts are the most successful with your fans, and you will learn how to share the best possible message with your audience. Another important thing is the relationship you can establish directly with the people who enter your page. A short welcome message is always nice to hear.
It is now time to disseminate content, information, and insiders’ stories. The page must have a unique content that cannot be found elsewhere. Don’t hesitate to feature a fan or to highlight important events to your audience, even if they are not directly related to your brand.
Should you wish to promote a special offer, use targeted advertising towards your fans rather than a post on the wall. Be careful, however: you are now creating relationships outside the commercial framework, so keep some distance with the commercial world.
At this stage you can reap the benefits of your page. Your fan base is robust; fans interact and truly love your brand. This is an ideal time for “spreading”. Various media can be used—games, questions, or quizzes. The key point is interaction: your fans must react to your posts so that they are disseminated as widely as possible. Posts should also interest someone who discovers the page. Once this step is completed and well mastered by your communications team, you can support them with Facebook advertising that will lead directly to the specific post.
Once these four steps are completed, your Facebook presence has gained solid foundation. Only then can you consider an ambassador campaign or advocacy marketing.