The Social Path

Should you pull your advertising from Facebook?

General Motors is pulling $10 million in Facebook advertising, but does that mean you should follow suit? Is this one of those defining “abandon ship!” moments?

Before I answer, let me first propose that we’re asking the wrong question. It’s not about “Should I stop advertising on Facebook?” The real question is, “Should I be advertising on Facebook in the first place?”

Here at Luckie & Company, we’ve generated literally billions of ad impressions for clients on Facebook, typically at a miniscule cost compared to other media options. And what we’ve consistently seen is that Facebook ads are incredibly effective — with a few caveats. Namely, your brand has to be committed to both Facebook and creative flexibility.

General Motors is citing poor sales-related ad performance as the reason to pull its money from Facebook, and I’m sure that’s true. But those of us who deal with Facebook ad campaigns every day quickly found ourselves wondering if GM was really trying hard enough.

By audience size alone, it’s clear that General Motors has struggled to keep up with its peers, especially at the global level. Let’s look at some numbers for comparison

 

Automakers | Facebook Likes

BMW: 9,914,313

Hyundai Worldwide: 2,430,572

Honda: 2,057,104

Kia Worldwide: 1,925,231

Ford: 1,502,385

Volkswagen USA: 1,169,401

Toyota USA: 935,990

Volvo: 415,784

General Motors: 378,491

Chrysler: 298,765

Fiat: 289,134

Renault: 239,127

 

Auto Sub-Brands | Facebook Likes

Mercedes-Benz (Daimler): 7,319,676

Audi USA (Volkswagen): 5,215,038

Mini (BMW): 2,969,017

Chevrolet (GM): 1,215,242

Cadillac (GM): 1,167,853

GMC (GM): 660,359

Land Rover (Tata): 386,392

Buick (GM): 411,908

Smart (Daimler): 283,079

Acura (Honda): 173,020

 

What these comparisons show us is that GM has been a respectable player in the Facebook marketing space, but clearly not a leader. The automaker admitted as much when it fired its social media ad agency in December (read more here), after which the agency complained that GM never understood the value of social media as place to build brand instead of just racking up sales.

So let’s get back to the real question: Should YOU pull your ads from Facebook? Or maybe kill that big campaign you had in the works?

Probably not.

Facebook ads remain tremendously effective (compared to the alternatives) at driving awareness and audience growth within Facebook. True, Facebook is saturating a bit, making it tougher for brands in lots of ways. More businesses are competing for limited ad space, and consumers are becoming jaded by the tedious and unexciting ads they see stripped down the side of each page.

Looking at the numbers

I had our agency's Facebook ad guru, Keith Browder, crunch some comparison numbers to see if Facebook is really losing its punch as an ad forum. Here’s what he found:

Comparing a Facebook campaign we’re running now to a similar one we ran this time last year, we’ve seen the click-through rate (CTR) rise from .04% in 2011 to .07% in 2012. Those numbers might sound low, but with the staggering number of ad impressions Facebook generates, it’s really not bad at all.

And while this case study sounds like good news for Facebook, it probably says more about our agency's ability to tweak creative and improve our targeting to yield better results.

Things are a bit less rosy on two other fronts: cost per Like and cost per thousand impressions (CPM). There, we saw the cost of new Likes rise from $1.30 each in 2011 to a number that hovers between $1.48 (for Sponsored Stories) and $2.75 for display ad units.

The nice thing about Facebook is that we can, at any time, adjust the current campaign to bring our costs down and increase our effectiveness. That’s a time-consuming process that requires experience and expertise, but it’s the only way to ensure your Facebook campaigns are consistently effective.

Apples, Oranges, Google and Facebook

Many pundits are using GM’s exit from Facebook as a reason to compare Facebook ads side-by-side with Google’s ad options. But any social media savvy marketer know that this is a real apples-and-oranges debate.

Google has a myriad of ad options ranging from search and mobile to YouTube pre-rolls and Google+ Circle targeting. Facebook, on the other hand, has Facebook ads, which have notoriously (and intentionally) few bells and whistles. Facebook has never wanted to be seen as primarily an ad platform, though Wall Street investors are sure to disagree once the stock goes public.

So in summary, if Facebook is important to your business, by all means keep advertising on Facebook. But keep some of these tips in mind:

• Facebook ads can’t be your only growth strategy. Ensure that your business’ page is being promoted on your products, in stores, on traditional ads or anywhere else you can reach your audience. And sure, try some Google search ads and see how they perform as a driver to Facebook, not just your home page.

 • Be flexible. If your Facebook ads aren’t working, try something else. Change your targeting. Change your creative. Kill the ads that aren’t working and enhance the ones that are. Are you wasting money on audience-growth ads that hit existing fans? Are your thumbnail images cluttered and confusing? Are your headlines saying anything worth acting on? Be hard on yourself and set aside the time to treat your campaigns with professional diligence and creativity.

• Keep people within Facebook. The best ad units offered by Facebook are those that generate Likes, not click-throughs. So focus on Sponsored Stories, Like ads and display ads that explain the benefits of becoming a fan. It’s worth experimenting with Facebook advertising as a driver to your website, but I doubt you’ll find it to be the best option. Instead, focus on building and engaging your audience, then producing content that fans the flames.

And remember, no ad medium is ineffective by nature. Dismissing an entire outlet, whether it’s Facebook or radio or rich media, is just a cop-out. Think about what you’re trying to accomplish, then find the right tools for the job. From this perspective, the recent ad flap may say more about General Motors than it does about Facebook.

David Griner is the VP/Director of Digital Content for Luckie and Company and contributing editor for Adweek’s blog, AdFreak.com. You can reach him by e-mail or on Twitter.

Photo credit: H Aoki on Flickr.

Before you "pin" or "highlight" on Facebook Timeline, ask yourself these questions.

The integration of Facebook Timeline brought a slew of new goodies that may not have come across your radar yet.

One of these tools is the ability to “Pin to Top” of the page or “Highlight” a post within a page, but the bigger question, more than just the simple mechanics of clicking a pencil or star, is how to decide which content deserves this gold standard of your fans' of attention.

When considering what to do with certain media or posts, it’s important to think about the original purpose for which the content was created as well as the audience that it was created for. You wouldn’t want a work safety video highlighted on your page, but an ad campaign that showcased a new product line would be a perfect fit.  And you wouldn’t pin a policy or frequently asked questions to the top of your page every week; that content can be better placed on the About page.

Ask yourselves these questions before deciding to “Pin to Top” or “Highlight”:

Job seekers, stop writing about yourself and start writing about your industry.

“I am passionate about social media.” I’ve seen this line in dozens of cover letters, resumes and LinkedIn profiles that I’ve reviewed in recent weeks as we try to fill an opening for a social media planner.

But often, I find myself doubting that the candidates really mean it.

Why? Because when I take the time to read their blogs, their Twitter feeds and their Pinterest boards, I find musings on everything BUT social media. They talk about their opinions of movies, celebrities, politics, fashion, sports and music. They talk about what they’re buying, watching, hoping, eating, drinking and regretting.

But what they don’t write about is the industry they claim to be “passionate” about joining. And that leaves me with the impression that these candidates are looking for a paycheck, not a career.

Google+ looks and works better than ever. Will that be enough?

Search behemoth Google continues to struggle in its quest to dominate the realm of social networking. But with fresh coat of paint and a couple of new bells and whistles, Google+ is now once again poised to rival Facebook.

As you can see in the video below, the new Google+ redesign is all about images. The sharing stream now features larger photos and video. There's also a sleek customizable ribbon on the left side of the page that allows for customization. You can now drag icons like "Circles" and "Photos" and arrange them as you like.

 

The new look also has been incorporated into Gmail and Google Reader in an effort to boost Google+ functionality.

The redesign is attractive but the jury is still out on whether these aesthetic changes can lure faithful Facebook fans. While Google+ boasts an impressive-on-paper 170 million users, there are still plenty of questions about mainstream adoption. Comscore data recently showed U.S. users spending 3.3 minutes on Google+ each month compared to 7.5 hours on Facebook. 

Google's new visual upgrade for the network is definitely a step in the right direction, but what do you think? Will it be enough to finally start luring users to spend considerable amounts of time on Google+?

Edward Bowser is Community Manager at Luckie & Company. You can contact him by email or follow him on Twitter.

Five fun fitness apps for your iPhone.

Warm weather has arrived across most of the country, which means it’s time for the annual swimsuit season freakout! After months of loading carbs to stay warm during winter, it’s time to shed those heavy clothes — and pounds, too.

Many weight-loss methods, like gym memberships, can be pricey. We thought we'd look at a few cheaper (i.e., free) iPhone app options to get you healthy. 

Need a job? We're hiring a social media planner.

If you’ve got a passion for social media marketing, a proven knack for organizing big projects and strong writing skills, you could be the next Social Media Planner for Birmingham-based marketing agency Luckie & Company.

You’ll be joining a team whose client work has been praised by everyone from Mashable to The New York Times, so you’ll need to show that you have the professionalism, creativity and enthusiasm to be an industry leader. Whether you come from an advertising agency, PR, interactive or journalistic background, we’re looking for someone with a solid track record of taking initiative and getting results. This position requires that you work full-time at the Luckie headquarters in Birmingham, where you will be managing the day-to-day operations of multiple client social media channels, often at the national level.

Requirements

•  3+ years of relevant experience in professional use of social media
• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, PR or a related field
• Clear examples of social media work for clients, preferably with an audience in excess of 10,000 fans or followers.
• Active experience with blogging, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest
• Excellent grammar, spelling and attention to detail
• Provide links to your publicly visible blogs and Twitter feeds
• Must complete criminal background check

Must be experienced with business use of:

• Facebook Pages and Insights
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+
• WordPress, TypePad or other blogging platforms
• YouTube and Vimeo
• Adobe Photoshop
• Microsoft Excel
• Google Documents

Ideal candidates also will be experienced with:

• Blogger outreach
• WordPress theme development
• Microsoft PowerPoint or KeyNote
• Radian6 or similar social analytics tools
• Web traffic analytics tools

To apply, email a resume, cover letter, electronic samples and relevant links to melissa.wheeler@luckie.com.

Luckie is an idea-obsessed 140-person agency with offices in Birmingham, San Antonio and Atlanta. Our clients include AT&T, Schick, Little Debbie, Regions Bank,Glaxo Smith Klein, Gulf Power, Asheville Tourism, Alabama Tourism, Bayer Advanced and Chick-fil-A.

Edward Bowser is Community Manager at Luckie & Company. You can contact him by email or follow him on Twitter.

Finally: Facebook allows custom images and copy for links to brand tabs.

It sounds so simple: If you want to keep users on your platform you'd probably want to make it easy to link to applications within your platform, right? Apparently, it wasn't that easy for Facebook.

For the last few years, linking to your own brand page tabs on Facebook was clunky, to say the least. Instead of pulling up custom images from the tab and allowing you to edit the title and body of the link, the brand page profile image, the brand page name and the brand page description were static.

Not so anymore!

Facebook has finally realized their folly. While the initial image, headline, and copy you see will all be for the brand page, you can now select the custom image from the tab that you'd like and highlight and edit the link's title and body before posting! It's the smallest things that make the biggest difference sometimes.

Thanks, Facebook!

Kammie Avant is a social media planner for Luckie & Company. You can contact her by e-mail or follow @KammieAvant on Twitter.

Photo credit: sfllaw on Flickr.

Fear not: Facebook Fan Gating is back.

When Facebook recently rolled out the new Timeline look for brands, many social media professionals noticed a subtle and terrifying shift: "Fan Gating" no longer seemed to work.

As you probably know, Fan Gating or Like Gating is the tactic of requiring a Facebook user to Like a brand page before using an application or accessing exclusive content. It is one of the most proven and effective fan-growth tools for Facebook pages, especially those investing in high-quality apps.

Our initial testing of Timeline pages found a serious problem was suddenly hobbling fan-gated tabs. Once you clicked Like, the page remained the same. The only way to "unlock" the exclusive content was to manually refresh the page.

Other than asking visitors to "hit refresh at the top of your browser," there didn't appear to be many solutions. 

But all that appears to be behind us. Facebook has quietly rolled out a return of proper Fan Gating in recent days, and our tests this afternoon showed them all working quite well (even legacy applications that were live before the TImeline switch).

If you're still experiencing Fan Gating problems, definitely let us know in the comments. For now, we're cautiously optimistic that this excellent tool for fan growth is back.

I should note that we still no longer have "Default Landing Tabs," which allowed your new Facebook visitors to see a Fan Gate instead of your wall. Facebook now sends every visitor to your Timeline, but that's OK. You can still use advertising and posts with links to drive viewers directly to your Fan Gated application.

Are there any other problems or quirks you've uncovered with Facebook Timeline for brands?

David Griner is the VP/Director of Digital Content for Luckie and Company and contributing editor for Adweek’s blog, AdFreak.com. You can reach him by e-mail or on Twitter.

Photo credit: Bonnie Natko on Flickr.

Facebook Timeline: 10 changes your business should prepare for.

This morning, Facebook announced a dramatic and long-awaited chance for business pages: the Timeline format. Social media marketers who are excited for the switch can jump to the new look right now, otherwise you'll be forced to change when Timeline becomes mandatory on March 30.

While the most obvious change is the sprawlingly wide new "cover photo," there's more to the media-rich pages than just a swank new header image. There are some exciting - and frustrating - details that Facebook admins need to keep in mind as they prepare for the switch.

Luckily, it's easy to get started by clicking the "Preview" button at the top of your page and setting up your Timeline in a private environment. Then you can simply hit "Publish now" whenever you're ready.

So why wait? We've been playing with it all day on our agency page, and we've put together this checklist to help your business embrace Timeline today:

A new metric for ad success: Keeping eyes away from apps.

This past Sunday, I once again had the pleasure of being the "voice of AdFreak" on Twitter, as I live-tweeted about the Super Bowl ads for Adweek's blog. (I also made occasional contributions to the magazine's Super Bowl liveblog itself, which you can read a transcript of here.)

Amid the frenzy of tweeting about ads in real time, I became hyperaware of how the game and its celebrated commercials kept or lost my attention. When the game grew dull, I was able to cram in more online updates. When a great ad surfaced, I stopped typing and stayed glued to the screen.

I wasn't alone, as you can see in the chart above from analytics service Flurry, which tracks data from more than 160,00 iOS and Android apps. The graph shows how many mobile apps were being opened during every second of the game.

For example, during downtime, smartphone users would fire up the Twitter or Facebook apps to see what friends were saying. When the game got intense (or Madonna took the stage), phones went dark and the TV took hold.

Certain ads obviously drew in viewers. I was one of the millions who couldn't look away from the mysterious movie trailer that ended up being for the board game-inspired "Battleship." Coke's polar bears kept people away from their phones, as well.

There's so much insight to be gleaned from this data, though mostly it just illustrates two points:

• Major television events have become national social experiences, giving us all something specific to talk about. Short of major world events, what else these days brings together so many diverse voices into the same conversation? Whether it's the Grammys or big game, TV's biggest moments are unparallaled in their ability to get people talking in real time.

• Attention comes at the cost of discussion. This creates a tough challenge for the entertainment industry. You want your TV show to be a nationally trending topic on Twitter while it's airing, but you also want viewers paying attention, right? A viewer's natural inclination will be the chat during commercial breaks, which means there's never been more pressure on advertisers to keep eyeballs on the screen and off the phone for just a few more seconds.

Which leads us to another fascinating implication of this data: We might be witnessing a new metric for TV ad performance. Most advertisers simply look at a program's audience size and claim the impressions as their own. But this chart clearly shows that attention waxes and wanes, even if the audience never leaves the room.

Will your favorite brand's next TV ad be enough to keep people engaged, or will audiences find their eyes drifting down to the dreaded second screen?

David Griner is the Director of Digital Content for Luckie and Company and contributing editor for Adweek’s blog, AdFreak.com. You can reach him by e-mail or on Twitter.