Why Facebook's growth models the need for interactive marketing

Considering recent statistics that show Facebook continues to grow, I have to wonder, "Why? How do they do it? And how can I apply Facebook's success to my own marketing and public relations strategies?"

After all, no one ever says "MySpace me." MySpace has gained popularity with bands and other groups, but the major social network remains Facebook. Perhaps this is because Facebook never stays the same. While many have complained about the many changes in layout, the new layouts give users something new to get excited about. I only recently saw the movie The Social Network. In the movie, Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook) mentions that his site will always be changing.

Change. The world is constantly changing, and we need to change with it, especially in our marketing and public relations strategies. But one more important lesson for marketers comes out of Facebook: the importance of interaction.

In the movie, The Social Network, Zuckerberg also says Facebook provides people with the opportunity to connect online, to learn about each other through status and relationship updates.

Such interaction has its downsides. An old professor of mine recently stopped using Facebook because he believed it negatively affected relationships by keeping people from interacting in person. His choice should come as a warning to marketers. Without genuine interaction, Facebook negatively impacts some of its users. It's up to you, as the representative of your company, to show that your company does genuinely care. The accusation that Facebook facilities fake relationships and keeps people away from real, personal relationships should make us work even harder to prevent that very thing from happening.

How do you increase interactions with customers and keep those interactions genuine?

2010 Facebook statistics: Facebook is growing... still

According to OnlineSchools.org, Facebook is still growing.

A few highlights of the below graphic:

• 1 of 13 people on the earth make up the 500,000,000 uses of Facebook
• About 28 percent of those people check their Facebook on mobile devices before they get out of bed (that should tell you something about the growing popularity of mobile devices and our need as marketers to take advantage of those devices)
• Liking "drugs" is up 1131.9 percent this year
• 57 percent of people talk to people more online than they do in real life (more than enough reason for a marketer to interact with customers both in person and online)
• 48 percent of young Americans say they find out about news through Facebook (in other words, make your company news and post that news on Facebook)

Newsletters Part 4: Making your blog or newsletter successful

Making your company's blog or newsletter effective drives traffic to your website and gains the confidence of your customers. Drew Zagorski has some great advice on making your newsletter successful. On his "Left Brain Right Brain" blog, he writes newsletters should:

• Position you as a thought leader
• Remain in front of your audience
• Drive traffic to your website
• Enhance your relevance in search engines
• Increase your presence in the social network space
• Promote not only your business but the business of the people who you do business with
• Present sales offers to drive sales

Zagorski goes into more detail on his blog.

In your mind, what makes a successful newsletter? How do you drive traffic to your site?

Read Newsletters Part 1: Know the audience you're writing to

Read Newsletters Part 2: Use simplicity to sell your product

Read Newsletters Part 3: Amazon's product suggestions

Newsletters Part 1: Know the audience you're writing to

Newsletters can be a useful method for keeping your customers interested in what  you have to offer. They give customers a gentle nudge and a friendly reminder of your existence.

Whether you use a physical newsletter or an e-newsletter depends on your audience. An older audience might prefer a physical paper, while a younger, tech-savvy audience may prefer an e-newsletter delivered straight to their email.

Last summer, I worked for a theatre company (Sierra Repertory Theatre) that used both methods. They created a physical paper a few times a year that they sent to season subscribers and put on display for audience members to read while they waited for shows to start. SRT also sends out an e-newsletter through PatronMail twice a month. The newsletter provides a quick introductory news blurb written as a personal note from the marketing director. It then goes on to provide articles about people involved in current productions. Theatre goers like to learn about what goes on behind the scenes, and the local audience that SRT serves is an old-fashioned one that prefers reading about people over reading about news. SRT's newsletter caters to its audience. It also provides sidebars that remind readers of current production dates and of needs for volunteer ushers.





What do you do to make your newsletter successful?

Interaction is key: Shrek answers your questions

Broadway in San Francisco illustrated the importance of interacting with customers via social networks today. They hosted an interactive session in which Facebook fans could ask Shrek (of Shrek the Musical) any question, and he answered. View the conversation here.

Creating a Wonderland for your customers: Simplicity and Creativity

The (so far) hit musical "Wonderland" is coming to Broadway in the spring. The modern take on the classic Alice in Wonderland is beginning to brand itself, not only with its regular website, but also with a simple, enjoyable, interactive story book that allows viewers to flip through a few pages that tell the basic premise of the show and that give viewers a preview of the show in pictures.

The show has also come up with a clever tag line: "A New Alice. A New Musical."

The story book certainly has my attention, and I look forward to seeing how the show markets itself in the future. The musical is one of the first Alice in Wonderland musicals, but Alice in Wonderland has been rehashed in film many times, so it should be interesting to see how this takes on.

Adapting to the Changing Times: Becoming like Proteus

According to a blog post by Jayblock Companies, the god Proteus was known for two things:

1. "He was able to foretell / predict the future and…


2. He was able to change, adapt, and acclimate himself to successfully meet and thrive in the future that he envisioned."

While the blog post focused on the application of this to the job market, I find that this has equal application to public relations and marketing. Far too many companies are reluctant to change with the times. Newspapers have gone under because of their leadership's unwillingness to adapt and use modern technology.

Tis the Season: Add a Little Charity, Gain a Little Customer Loyalty

It's the holiday season, which puts customers in a cheery mood. People always love to see and hear feel good stories like those of Extreme Home Makeover, but they love these stories of charity, hope and love even more during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. And the holiday decorations give you the chance to make your little bit of charity even more unique.

For example, Disney has given one family a special treat and posted photos of it on their blog. The blog reads:

...this year we teamed up with Sylvania andCHOC Children’s to take the magic of the holiday season from the Resort to the home of one special little girl and her family. Adela Jauregui, 8, a patient at CHOC Children’s, and her family watched as their home lit up with more than 6,200 lights and Disney-themed décor.

What a great way to bless others and bring attention to yourself at the same time. The real challenge is to find a way to do this all year in unique ways that please and bring in customers.

How have you used special causes to promote your company?

Interacting with Your Public: Disney Memories and User-Generated Content on Facebook

Many news outlets have made themselves more successful by pursuing and allowing citizen journalism. It seems Disney Resorts has had a similar idea. The company has created a Facebook page design specially for Disney fans to share their Disney parks memories in the form of text, photos and videos.

Called "Disney Memories," the application gives the average everyday person the opportunity to feel in charge, to feel special, to feel, as Mickey Mouse would put it, like they're in the "happiest place on earth."