Facebook Launches New Coupon Feature For Local Businesses

Facebook recently introduced its new offers product for business pages. Currently available in the US, the new feature allows local business pages to create coupons to share with customers via the new timeline and it’s free to use. It is expected that Facebook will rollout the product in other territories over the coming months.

It’s important to note that only businesses categorized as “local business” will be able to use this new feature. So, if you want to take advantage of it you will have to change your page’s settings if is not currently listed as such. This also means that if you’re a celebrity or online business you will not be able to use it as it is intended solely for brick-and-mortar operations.

The first time you attempt to make an offer you’ll be prompted to take the tour.

This is what the offer posting field looks like on Facebook:

How to create an offer for your Facebook page.

1. Start here: Select “offer” from the top your page’s timeline.
2. The headline: Choose a strong headline and include a call to action using clear language that explains what the offer is. For example, “buy one Ferrari, get one free” or “receive 50% off your next purchase”. Facebook has some choice recommendations for headlines.
3. Thumbnail: You can upload a thumbnail image to accompany the text of your offer. Be sure to choose an image that represents the offer directly or the intended target market – Facebook recommends against using your company logo since it is less likely to capture attention and spark conversions.
4. Redemption limit: You may want to limit the number claims so as not to put yourself in a position where you have to redeem an exorbitant number of offers which may prove very costly – similar to what many businesses experienced when using Groupon for the first time. Remember Groupon? This is done by clicking “unlimited” and selecting the desired number from the drop-down.
5. Set the expiration date: Allow sufficient time for fans of your page to take advantage of the offer and word-of-mouth among your customer base to spread. Two to four weeks is generally best.
6. Terms and conditions: Add the specific details – the terms and conditions and make them simple and easy to understand. Avoid tongue tying your fans with legalese, it’s a turn off.

Preview your offer carefully to ensure that it is exactly how you want it to appear and then post to your timeline.

Be sure to alert your staff and give them advance notice of when the offer will be in play to avoid any awkward moments between your employees and customers when Facebook fans arrive to redeem.

P.S. Interested in social media for your business? Contact Grüv Media for a free consultation.

Bravo Starbucks, Cheers to Your Java!

Starbucks is a social media innovator. The coffee giant seamlessly bridges the gap between customers’ online and IRL (in real life) experiences, enhancing the brand’s relationships with consumers with every exchange.

QR codes, mobile apps, social media and points of sale form a powerful system of customer engagement, retention and sales when properly designed and executed. Enter ‘My Starbucks Rewards’ program.

Customers earn a Star for every purchase made with a registered Starbucks Card. 5 Stars delivers Green status which gives users:

• a free birthday drink
• syrup or soymilk on the house
• free refills
• buy beans and get a beverage

30 Stars gets Gold status:

• all benefits of Green
• free drink every 15 Stars
• very own personalized Gold Card (love this touch)
• special members offers

Starbucks ties it all together with their iPhone and Android mobile apps and direct-to-fan engagement via social media channels. Once a consumer registers their card and downloads the mobile app they can:

• manage their Starbucks card balance
• reload their card
• track their progress in rewards program
• geo locate the Starbucks nearest you
• keep track your favourite drinks, your friends’ too
• search jobs at Starbucks
• explore the world of coffee

When performed in concert the result is a sales cycle that integrates the POS with social media/mobile apps, earns new customers and rewards existing ones while providing interest based content relevant to all parties. Bravo Starbucks, cheers to your Java!

What Social Media Marketers Can Learn From the Marx Brothers

The Marx Brother’s career spanned several decades and multiple mediums, from vaudeville and broadway to print, radio, film and television. They seamlessly traversed mediums and continuously expanded their fan base with engaging content that hit all the right notes.

The Brothers were adept at using myriad mediums in concert to support their endeavors and this is what savvy social media marketers are doing today.

When creating a content strategy for a new client, first consider the audience and the forms of media they prefer to consume. Then, consider the ways you can increase the longevity and scope of one form of content by offering it in several mediums.

For example; you can generate a podcast from a video interview and then feature its transcription in a blog post and schedule the release of all three over the period of 7 days. By offering the same content in multiple mediums you extend its reach, maximize its potential and engage your audience in the formats they enjoy.

Experiment, have fun and above all, engage!