Maybe if you are a multinational corporation, like Samsung Mobile, you don’t have to care how you spend your money. Must be nice. For the rest of us, let Samsung’s recent Facebook (FB) advertising campaign be an example of what not to do in social advertising.

The advertising rate for the FB log out page is around $700,000 per day, which is even more ridiculous when you consider that the disengaged FB user is the worst demographic to target and the worst time to target them.  However, before I get too far off on a rant, let’s take a look at what Samsung has taught us.

1. Think hard about your Call-To-Action (CTA). Samsung’s CTA is to “like” their poorly made video. Even if I did like Samsung’s video, which I don’t, what good does my “like” do for Samsung? They might get a better edgrank score, but is there a real conversion taking place? Not really. Your CTA should send visitors outside of FB, to a landing page, or an app, where a conversion will actually provide your brand value. For example, a CTA that sends visitors to a designated landing page and prompts them to enter their email address will build a contact database that a brand can then leverage with a targeted email campaign. Samsung may have gotten a big reach, but if you’re not converting that reach what’s the point?

2. Write copy that is inclusive and motivational. I get what Samsung means by the statement “If you caught our SMM Fan Santigold concert, ‘Like’ if you’re excited for what’s next,” but it isn’t clean copy and it excludes a huge demographic. I did not catch their fan concert, so I don’t feel like they are speaking to me and I’m not necessarily excited about what’s next. Better would have been to say, “Don’t miss the next Fan concert. Sign up to get exclusive access to all the hottest events.”

3. Make sure your graphic is awesome! I am not the target demographic for this ad, but as a photographer and a design junky, Samsung really missed the ball with this graphic. Santigold is no doubt a striking model, but all you have to do is a quick Google image search to find at least 5 photographs of her that grab your attention better, are more visually appealing, and make better use of the canvas.

4. Spend your money wisely. I literally salivate at the prospect of having 700k to spend on FB advertising in one day. My team here at Bonfire could put together an amazing campaign for that amount of money. We could implement multiple ad campaigns over the course of a couple months, run simultaneously, so that we could determine which copy and graphics resonated the most with demographics to actually sells more phones and increases customer loyalty.

So if you have 700k that is just burning a hole in your marketing budget, give it to charity or give it to Bonfire, but don’t follow in Samsung’s footsteps. As marketers we should be constantly pushing ourselves to attach an ROI to everything we do. The old days of traditional advertising with no accountability are over. The days of strategic advertising that drives real and quantifiable results are here. Rejoice!

Company: Thrive Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Center

Social Media Team: Ryan Lewis, Lisa Peyton, Danielle Hoole

Campaign Length: One year, January 2011-December 2011

Result: 694% increase in Facebook fans, 1,164% increase in Twitter followers, and 50% increase in traffic to website, including 77.4% in search and 18% in referral sources.

The Challenge

In 2011, Thrive Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Center looked to expand their reach and build their reputation as the experts in aesthetic and anti-aging services. Traditional advertising wasn’t adequately reaching the brand’s targeted audience, so Thrive’s staff turned instead to social media. Understanding the potential of digital marketing, they hired Bonfire to expand their digital presence and communicate their expertise, use of advanced technology, and quality of care.

Facebook

Bonfire developed a well rounded strategy to build an engaged Facebook fan base, incentive with monthly specials and exclusive offers, and offer valuable and entertaining content.

Beyond promotions, the page needed a variety of content to provide fans with a well-rounded experience. Bonfire began to create a broad spectrum of posts that increased brand and industry awareness while engaging with fans. Weekly “community conversations” posed questions about fitness routines, skincare regiments, and even favorite spots for healthy breakfast. Other posts highlighted celebrity beauty tips, relevant articles, and news about Thrive’s innovative technology. The page also integrated Thrive’s blog, newsletter promos, and e-mail sign up form, all of which had the ultimate goal of driving traffic back to ThrivePortland.com.

Twitter

Through Twitter, Bonfire could post similar content but interact more directly with followers. Used as a cross-promotion tool with Thrive’s other assets, the Twitter handle became a sounding board for direct messaging and issuing updates. By diligently responding to mentions, thanking users for retweets, and manually following industry-related handles, followers increased exponentially over the year.

Facebook Advertising

A Facebook ad campaign allowed Bonfire to target a more niche demographic than traditional advertising ever could—and with a much lower budget. Ads displayed relevant content about aging and engaging photos to drive click-through rates. Using specific demographic and interest-based targeting, the campaign was focused on Thrive’s target audience. Over the year, the campaign resulted in millions of impressions, and as a result Thrive’s Facebook page began to grow with both relevant fans and potential clients.

Other Platforms

Bonfire took control of the “Doctor’s Blog” and began publishing weekly posts related to the industry. Content varied between the benefits of featured products, weight loss tips, and more community conversations. By targeting competitive keywords, these posts significantly increased Thrive’s website in search results and offered visitors more in-depth information about available services.

Boosting brand awareness was the ultimate goal, but Thrive already had a large pool of regular clients. In order to retain them, Bonfire initiated a lead nurturing endeavor through eblasts and monthly newsletters. Twice a month past clients received the same specials offered to Facebook fans and a newsletter full of rich content. Quotes related to beauty or aging headlined these e-mails, and the monthly newsletter provided healthy recipes, industry-related news, and more exclusive offers.

The Results

After twelve months, Thrive’s social media presence began to reflect the success of the brand. Facebook fans had increased 694%, and its Twitter followers grew 1,164%. The website saw tremendous results as well. Through targeted keywords on the blog and an increase in referral traffic, ThrivePortland.com received 50% more visitors in 2011 than in 2010. The brand’s reach had extended exponentially through new digital marketing endeavors, and the business gained new customers while retaining loyal clients. In all of this, Thrive grew not just as a business but also in prestige as an innovative, expert leader in the industry.

Company: Paul Frank

Social Media Team: Danielle Hoole, Director of Operations, Bonfire Social Media; Ryan Lewis, President, Bonfire Social Media

Campaign Length: One year, January 2011-December 2011

The Challenge

Paul Frank began in a California garage in the 1990s, where wallets adorned with a monkey named Julius were sewn made from Naugahyde, a vinyl that is more commonly associated with mid-century automobile seats. Almost instantly the brand gained a committed fan base. SoCal surfers and skaters latched on to Julius, purchasing Paul Frank gear and blazoning Julius’s face across their boards and backpacks. Popularity surged, and the fan base diversified. By 2010 it included hipsters, techies, extreme sports fanatics, and a burgeoning number of international loyalists. Moms and teenagers alike banded behind the brand. Within a decade, Paul Frank had grown from a backyard business into an internationally recognized company.

The Paul Frank marketing department wanted to appeal to a varied client base while highlighting the true identity and spirit of the brand. The company wanted to appeal to a new demographic fan base while retaining the first fans it was founded upon. In 2011, Paul Frank hired Bonfire to build and strengthen its brand through social media. Bonfire set out to increase both fans and fan engagement through appealing content and organic means.

Facebook

Though Paul Frank had an existing Facebook page, its numbers didn’t reflect the company’s popularity, and it wasn’t consistent in efforts to engage its audience. Bonfire immediately developed a trial and error strategy to determine what content resonated with the page’s wide range of fans. The popularity of each post was measured. After tweaking even minute details, analyzing the effect, and testing again, Bonfire eventually amassed a strong collection of posts that would engage and appeal to everyone. “Who is Julius” caricatures of celebrities attracted American fans, while “Where is Julius” images of global landmarks expressed gratitude to international followers. Intermixed in all of this were puzzles and games that reflected the light-hearted, comedic spirit of Paul Frank.

Additionally, Bonfire used Facebook to partner with other marketing endeavors. From promoting stops along the Paul Frank Academy of Awesome Tour to creating numerous contests giveaways, the content of the Paul Frank page rewarded its fans with prizes and real time updates. Fan engagement began to increase exponentially, and more people began to express their love of Paul Frank through its page.

Twitter

Bonfire decided to employ the Paul Frank Twitter handle as a tool primarily to connect more closely with fans. By following people who mentioned the brand and responding to their compliments, questions, and concerns, the handle became a personable face of the company. Strategic tagging of celebrities led to prominent retweets, amassing even more followers and building a stronger community. Through Twitter, Paul Frank could wish followers happy birthday, retweet photos of fans in their gear, and send short uplifting messages—all of which served as expressions of gratitude for its faithful fans.

Facebook Advertising

In addition to the organic growth of the page, Bonfire regularly implemented ad campaigns specifically targeted to help grow the United States fan base. With clear imagery and a call to action, these ads targeted fans of brands, likes, interests, and celebrities that the Paul Frank fan base would identify with. Using a variety of advertising campaigns and a relatively low advertising spend, Bonfire grew the overall fan base.

The Results

After twelve months, Paul Frank had reached millions of people through social media. With tested content and a consistent message that appealed to all demographics, Bonfire helped strengthen the Paul Frank brand without compromising its original identity. Primarily through Recommended pages, Facebook fans increased over 42%, and Twitter followers grew 22,966%.

For a professional writer the success of Pinterest could be terrifying. In half a year it has exploded to become the third most popular social medium in the world. Out of nowhere the network is expanding faster than even Facebook’s initial growth. Marketers gush about its potential; Forbes just declared it a $7.7 billion company. In the month of March Pinterest received over 100 million visitors. The suddenness of these figures is striking, but the real concern for writers is a fact behind the growth: it came about almost entirely without words.

The site hardly uses them. Everyone who’s visited it knows instead of headlines and pithy copy Pinterest relies on imagery to draw in visitors. Anyone who’s analyzed the metrics knows it retains them better than Twitter’s abrupt wall of text. Comic book advertising long ago revealed that photos engage people better: a sea-monkey illustration continues to sell plastic jars of brine shrimp. The benefit of good imagery is undisputed fact, but writing has never looked as comparatively obsolete as it does now.

The New York Times cheekily reminded readers that a picture is worth “about seven Twitter posts.” Marketers have always understood that a well-created image is more valuable than a sentence, but the success of Pinterest implies they’re not even comparable. The network doesn’t just use pictures; it relies solely on them and still succeeds. With a pigeonholed demographic (80% of pinners are women), this site can’t devalue language on its own, but it does reveal a larger, more expansive trend.

Pinterest isn’t as important as a case study in itself; it’s more useful as a portent, a sign or warning that visual revolution is in the air. For a site to succeed so tremendously without language proves humans have entered a new cultural era. Communication is rapidly evolving. The old exchange of information is no longer viable. Words continue to matter, but only as contextual frames for imagery. A company or brand with any hopes of success needs to see this, accept it, and begin to strategize accordingly.

The attention spans of people may have shrunk over the last century, but more likely they’ve changed. Browsing pins and boards is entrancing. Some have called it an addiction to images. The mind remains focused, but it’s now trained to concentrate on pictures not sentences. Pinterest flourishes because of this shift, and while it might someday dissolve, its use of imagery is enduring. It succeeds now because it reflects a cultural evolution, and any brand that doesn’t adapt itself will die out.

Technology is the driving force behind this change. Expanding 3G networks and high speed Internet have made the distribution of photos and videos possible. Capturing attention and selling products both relied on imagery for centuries, but consuming and sharing them have never been easier. As more brands leverage this, language as a foundation is eroding. Visual content will continue to rise as a prominent form of strategic marketing. Writers probably won’t encounter a sudden burst of unemployment, but they may begin to replace photographers and graphic designers as the world’s supplemental artists. The marketers not in this field aren’t facing doom; they just need to invest in good visual content creation, and soon.

Earlier this week, when Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook was buying Instagram, people balked. Market analysts publicized the $1 billion price tag; bloggers questioned the motives; and most others were just furious about the conglomeration. Twitter exploded with people declaring they’d just deleted their Instagram accounts. Facebook comparisons ranged from a monopoly to an imperialist force to the Borg. Calmer voices like The New Yorker theorized the move was nothing more than a power play, and the fact that The New Yorker weighed in so quickly (or at all) seemed to strike no one as strange.

Facebook is, after all, just a social network, but we don’t need another blog analyzing its power and influence. Zuckerberg himself has said he wants Facebook to be a site where all online needs are met. Already users can read articles, stream music and videos, and e-mail friends. Over 483 million people use the site daily. It’s the most popular online destination in the world, which is why some people fear it like a fascist regime. The social network possesses immense power, but people forget that despite his lofty ambitions Zuckerberg isn’t a fascist. Even if he was, other e-mail, video, and news platforms are individually more popular. Facebook is still a diversion at best, a business at worst.

From an economic standpoint, the acquisition makes sense. Instagram is all about sharing photos, which has arguably always been the main allure of Facebook. Grandmothers create profiles to see family pictures; disinterested users keep their accounts to access old photos. TheFacebook.com was first created to browse others’ portraits. Instagram works under the same premise. They’re both social networks that share images; of course the larger network would acquire the other. The most interesting element in all of this was the cost—something Jon Stewart pointed out (see below) as seemingly absurd. Facebook paid $33/Instagram user. Whether Zuckerberg saw the app as that worrisome of a competitor or that complimentary of a platform depends on whom you ask. But it needs to be asked in business terms, not hyperbole.

This deal isn’t, as some people claim, a conspiracy. The people who rail against Facebook are descendants of the people who railed against e-mail, television, and the telephone in decades past. It isn’t the Matrix or Skynet. It’s a business, and its purchase of Instagram had nothing to do with world domination. Not everyone likes Facebook, but most people use it, and those who don’t miss out on events, social updates, and news generated by friends and brands. The public outcry about Instagram will fade, and people will keep using the app, happily or not.

The only real reason this deal caused a hullabaloo is Facebook’s immense popularity. Commercially, politically, and culturally, the site has become an engrained part of our society. This is an age where the Secretary of State submits memes and Internet tycoons are featured in celebrity magazines. Of course Facebook’s acquisition of an app will make headlines. Everything Facebook does will face scrutiny. It isn’t an apocalyptic sentient being, but it is a powerful social and economic force, and every billion-dollar ripple it makes will create cultural tidal waves.

If you could only watch one video on Facebook this year, the Insights Breakout at FMC 2012 should be it. The brains behind Facebook Insights breakdown what they measure, how they measure it and how you could improve your business’s exposure. The video is quite outstanding actually and I hope it sheds some light on Facebook Strategy.

My Three Take Aways

1. Fan count means very little in regards to reach
2. Facebook advertising and especially sponsored stories has a exponential effect on reach
3. Engagement should be your primary objective.

We have been testing and compiling all relevant design changes for Facebook Page admins and are very happy to share our knowledge with everyone. Below is a PowerPoint highlighting primary and secondary design changes for Facebook Page Timelines. Bonfire has tested and mastered both, so if you have any questions or need assistance, let us know and we will help any way we can.

Recently, I heard this question posed to a college class full of accounting students: “What do you think of Facebook?” The answers were quite surprising.

Most of the younger students claimed that it was too crowded and spammy, while a majority of the older students claimed it to be an amazing communication tool. Digging deeper, I wanted to understand the source for the younger title of “spammy.” What I found was a correlation between how many friends, apps, pages and groups they were associated with and how little utilization of filters happen.

Just like your life, the social web needs to be curated. What’s important to you one day, could be completely irrelevant the next. Currently, age has a lot to do with this. I did not have Facebook in college (thankfully), but if I did, I can imagine thousands of more friend requests than I currently get. I can also imagine having less judgment on what I allow into my Facebook wall and thus into my life. This is where I see the “spammy” label happening more often. I am basing some of my assumptions on age differences, but I can also see a crowded wall occurring for those with looser information gating practices.

At Bonfire, we have a few “business” Facebook profiles. Just as a test, one of the profiles created accepts every friend invite, app invite, page invite and group invite. The profile has no privacy settings and has not blocked anything from its wall. With this example there are no “friends” I actually know in the physical world. I can clearly see why some feel Facebook is “Spammy.” The profile has 493 “friends,” 1,531 app invites, 2938 page invites and 213 group invites.

Those are unreal numbers and allude to my point of this post: curate your Facebook profile like you curate your life. Don’t accept every invite or you will clutter up your wall. Your social web is exactly what you make of it. If you think it’s spammy, you have no one to blame but yourself. Think of accepting invites as allowing people in your home that knock on your door. You wouldn’t let everyone in, would you? So don’t accept every invite and kick out those that outstay their welcome.

If you’ve had a Facebook page for one year or more, you’ve probably noticed that getting exposure is much harder than it used to be.

Aside from being massively more crowded than years prior, Facebook’s EdgeRank (the algorithm that determines what an individual sees in their news feed) has become more complicated and specific to the tastes of individuals that it’s nearly impossible to leverage the tool if you don’t have a relevant fan base who loves to interact with and share your content.

Despite the fact that Facebook remains very secretive about their algorithm, Argle Social’s webinar last week provided answers to several key questions for marketers and gave new insight into how we should behave in regards to EdgeRank.

Three Variables That Determine EdgeRank

Facebook’s EdgeRank is determined by three variables: Affinity, Weight, & Time Decay.

1. Affinity is the relationship Facebook thinks you have with a given piece of content, according to actions you have taken in the past. In other words, the more you share, comment, ‘like’, and click on different objects, the higher it will (eventually) appear in your news feed.

2. Weight is the importance Facebook assigns to actions people take and different types of content distributed by people and companies.

Objects (content distributed):

1. Video
2. Photo
3. Link
4. Status (copy w/no video, photo, or link)

“Time decay” refers to how recent or “old” the item is. Simply put, newer items are more likely to appear in the news feed than older items. This is why posting content at times when your audience is logged in to Facebook is crucial in increasing exposure.

EdgeRank Best Practices

More generally, you should consider a few things when thinking about EdgeRank:

1. Give your brand personality. You have to be interesting to get exposure on Facbeook. Everything you put into the news feed must be compelling, entertaining, informative, or nurture the community in some way. Share exclusive content. Include lots of photos and videos. Start your own traditions. You are no longer competing against other advertisers – you are competing against people’s friends, families, dogs & cats. They have personalities, so you must too.

2. Use separate campaigns and contests. Campaigns allow you to determine what content is best and see the big picture of things in a very tactical medium. Run a 3-month campaign (no shorter) to gain new perspectives on different types of content.

3. Include calls to action. Click ‘like’ if you agree. Comment with YOUR favorite color. Share this get well graphic with a friend of yours who is sick. Be careful not to use these too often, but throwing them in every so often can give you a nice boost in interactions. What could be easier than telling them exactly what to do?

4. “Stir the hornet’s nest”, as it was referred to in the webinar. This is my personal favorite and one that can drive massive results. Pinning your fans against each other with borderline controversial content, “bubble” events, and content that pushes their buttons (a little) is one of the best ways to get people talking. Don’t make the mistake of getting political, challenging moral beliefs, or being offensive here – just don’t be afraid to put something out there that people might disagree with.

Now it’s your turn:

What EdgeRank best practices do you have to share?

This post was written by Bonfire’s Chief Strategist, Garrett Ira.

Company: Beaverton Auto Group

Social Media Team: Ryan Lewis, President, Bonfire Social Media; Garrett Ira, Community Manager, Bonfire Social Media

Campaign Length: Nine Months

Result: Facebook interactions increased 1,021%, Facebook fans increased 172%, and Facebook cost-per-fan decreased 38.2% (averages)

The Challenge

Beaverton Auto Group consists of three auto dealerships: Beaverton Nissan, Beaverton Hyundai, and Damerow Ford. A locally owned and operated company, Beaverton Auto Group was quick to realize and understand the dramatic shift to social media in an industry that has relied heavily on traditional mediums.

Each of the three brands at hand have experienced their own significant challenges during the recession and natural disasters in Japan, which caused difficulty in maintaining a consistent supply of inventory. Bonfire was appointed to launch the company into the social space to build brand awareness, increase web traffic, nurture their communities, and ultimately drive sales.

The Customer Experience

Auto dealerships aren’t exactly known for fantastic customer service, and many customers dread stepping onto the lot. So instead of simply telling everyone how great their customer service is, we showed them by displaying photos of happy customers next to their brand new cars. Not only did this provide an avenue to build trust among potential customers, but it also helped us grow a relevant fan base—one filled with existing customers and not random visitors who want nothing to do with the product. The pictures quickly became a hit, with customers often asking for their pictures to be taken before the conclusion of the sale and showing gratitude in the comments.

We also provided exceptional customer service via social channels, further contributing to our highly interactive communities.

Incentives

One of the most significant shifts in social media in 2011 was the expectation of the consumer to be rewarded for connecting with brands online. Knowing this was a key to success, we wanted to do something fun to reward our fan base but also add value and generate business for our client.

We achieved this in several ways throughout the campaign, the first of which was exclusive service specials for Facebook fans. To make this process ultra-convenient for the customer, we enabled them to download and print the coupons right from Facebook vs. making them click through to another site. We also ran an iPad 2 Giveaway as part of our “fan giveaway” value proposition.

Facebook Advertising

Most auto dealerships use their Facebook pages exclusively to advertise. Not our clients.

We advertise where it was meant to be—using Facebook ads. They allowed us to extend our campaign reach significantly while allocating our budget only to our target demographics. Throughout the campaign, the ads were the highest generator of new fan growth than any other medium.

The Results

A well-executed strategy, optimized tactics, and a focus on valuable content yielded phenomenal results over our nine month period from February–October 2011. In fact, Beaverton Hyundai now has more Facebook fans than any Hyundai dealership in the nation.

Beaverton Nissan

Facebook Fans: +183.2%

Facebook Interactions: +668.4%

Facebook Advertising Cost-Per-Fan: -53.7%

Beaverton Hyundai

Facebook Fans: +260.5%

Facebook Interactions: +1,480.6%

Facebook Advertising Cost-Per-Fan: -62.4%

Damerow Ford

Facebook Fans: +73.4%

Facebook Interactions: +914.8%

Facebook Advertising Cost-Per-Fan: +1.4%