Facebook Case Study

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%.

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%

Last month I had the opportunity to meet several leading clothing and footwear manufacturers at the OEN PubTalk. It was an interesting discussion so I decided to create a Facebook Page Analysis of footwear and apparel brands on Facebook. Below are the results. I would love to hear your feedback and thoughts about effective ways brands are connecting with you on Facebook.

B2C Facebook Page Analysis: Footwear and Apparel

While B2B social media marketing is still a new concept, there are examples of companies creating effective campaigns. We analyze companies that are dedicating resources toward building engaged online communities.