How can companies effectively leverage Facebook to amplify new product launches? Here are some ideas that i got during speaking to some companies — large and small — that used Facebook to effectively introduce products to the marketplace.
Make a Splash with Creative Giveaways
In 2009, Little Debbie used the launch of the new Little Debbie Chocolate Cupcakes as a centerpiece of the brand’s entrance into Facebook. The product launch included:
The agency that helped Little Debbie develop and implement these campaigns, Facebook continues to be a major components of their product launch strategy. “With each launch, we feature the new products on Facebook, solicit fan feedback and offer occasional giveaways to encourage sampling. Since the cupcake launch, we’ve doubled the Facebook audience to more than 1 million Likes, thanks largely to giveaways and other promotions that help fans feel engaged with the brand.”
Companies want to get creative with giveaways, but as Kim notes, it’s important to stay true to the brand and use giveaways as a learning opportunity. “Everything we gave away was something we were already selling or planning to sell on sneakpeeq in terms of product/brands. We also used the launch on Facebook to educate consumers about what sneakpeeq is — a social shopping site with a twist.”
Solicit Feedback to Fine-Tune the Product
If a business has effectively built a Facebook following that resembles the target market, this network can be a major research and development asset. Ask for feedback, design input and functionality requests. If you’re launching a product with a beta testing period, ask the Facebook community for volunteers.
Create Clear Landing Pages & Calls to Action
In some cases, Facebook can function like a traditional website landing page. Transparent Corp, a software company that exclusively sells its products online, has used Facebook Page tabs to create “condensed and easily sharable versions of the landing pages for new software products,” according to Aaron Smyk, the company’s director of social media and marketing.
Smyk offers the following tips to create effective landing pages within Facebook:
Reward Existing Community Members
As Nike Golf launched a new golf ball during the Master’s Tournament, it offered a select number of limited edition green swoosh 20XI balls to Facebook fans in three time-based giveaways in the days leading up to the tournament. The giveaway occurred several weeks before the 20XI balls were available in retail stores, so the public did not yet have access to the product.
In addition to giving away a small number of golf balls, Nike Golf also offered a free shipping promotional code as a “consolation prize.” According to Brian Carter, digital marketing manager for Nike Golf, the launch doubled interaction rates and led to a significant increase in impressions. Most notably, the revenue generated from the campaign’s promotional code was six times the cost to run the campaign.
Build a Targeted Audience
To ensure that time spent online is time well spent, businesses must focus on building and cultivating a targeted audience. Start by defining your audience and developing a strategy to attract that demographic to the Facebook Page. A content strategy, social giveaways and Facebook ads can help companies reach the right people.
As sneakpeeq co-founder and president Henry Kim says, “We learned that if you get the right audience to share your product in the beginning — and getting this audience excited about your company is a giant step — you can do this with little money. Be creative. Where else can you get an instant audience for your company?”
A growing Facebook community is also an evolving community. Sheri Wallace, who works with Dandelion, seller of eco-friendly baby products, notes: “The community at 10,000 fans is not the same as it was at 2,000.” She adds that keeping in touch with the parents has been crucial to increased growth and to the success of newly launched products.