Advantages of Brands on Facebook

It has been 9 years since Facebook exploded into our lives and it seems to be growing onto us with every single day! Forget about knowing your friends or family on facebook… how about knowing companies?!

A recently concluded study has revealed that eight out of every 10 American companies have a Facebook presence. Not many people would have guessed that… and those who guessed it might not really know why. And more importantly, just how many really use their Facebook account? Read on to know!

The survey went on to reveal that most companies looked at Facebook to build a factor of trust with their brand. Has it worked? Well quite obviously… anyone would prefer interacting with a company with a backing of thousands of fans, rather than a company with no customer base whatsoever.

But the surprising highlight of the survey wasn’t the percentage of companies on the social media major, the survey revealed that there’s a noticeable different between using social media and taking advantage of it. Just 11 percent of companies are integrating their social media approach into their overall corporate strategy, while 17 percent are currently mid-integration.

It was found that 61 percent of businesses are paying attention to reviews and conversations that occur on social media. Eighty-three percent of companies say they always handle inquiries and complaints delivered to them through social media.

So quite obviously few companies are using the platform to generate business or leads or even maintain their brand image… And this does mean investing too.

But a fact that stood out in the survey was that a whopping 26 percent of the companies on the list didn’t even operate their account after making it functional.

Even if only a few companies are taking full advantage of social media, the survey found that most businesses are using the new platforms to listen to consumers.

Image management is without doubt one of the most important aspects in reputation management today. There have been instances in the past where larger brands into hospitality have been tarnished because of odd campaigns out to defame them. No one really cares about the facts of the content, all people would care about is the negative impulse. Think about it, what would you rather read? A compliment or a complaint?

If such focus is driven by companies into brand reputation on Facebook, it is without doubt the place to be for Indian companies. Considering the fact that we are probably the most fussy customers!

But will the gap between companies on facebook and those active in facebook mark a significant change to brand management in India’s digital world…time will tell soon enough.

Come 2015, India will the largest market for Facebook! Surely something that Facebook and Indian companies cannot ignore! The future for your company’s brand management is up for grabs…

Campaigns on Facebook

You have all kinds of people on Facebook nowadays. Be it the politicians, celebrities, athletes, movie stars, singers, police officers, CXO’s, regular working class people, students or parents.

Now, everyone opened their profiles here to know what the hype was all about at first. And once they knew what it was all about, they were addicted to it enough to get off it.

Having such a diverse set of people, it is but natural that it be used for a host of activities.

Initially, as expected, people started using it for marketing products and brands. Brands made the most of people being available for the new type of marketing opportunities this form of media provided. They created pages and ran ads to promote themselves.

People loved seeing the brands and being associated with them on such a close basis. They loved seeing the products and loved talking to the brands on a one-to-one basis.

And as expected, it was only natural for people to start voicing their opinions on things, sharing and commenting on things they saw day-in-and-out.

Soon, this became a trend and people started voicing their opinions on more important matters. Be it the dirty politics played by the people that rule our nation or how our National animal – the Tiger – is almost extinct!

Such campaigns were started by laymen to try and make a difference in the world we live in.

Everyone wished to share their opinions to change the society. But not everyone can be Anna Hazare. The least we could do is show him that we are with him in the fight against corruption. Hence, the campaign broke out on Facebook. This received more than 5 lakh fans. This may not have made a very big difference to the people on top, but it did help us voice our opinions about how we felt and what we thought about them!

Another important campaign that ran on Facebook was the Save Tigers campaign.

There are only 1411 tigers left in the India and there is major threat to the very existence of our National Animal!

There was a very active campaign that broke out on facebook about saving these big cats. It was mainly to keep people alert about this fact and wanting them to do any little bit that they could to save this part of our National heritage.

As a result, people became aware of the existing threat to these cats and were ready to help do their bit to save them!

The latest campaign to break out on Facebook is regarding the Presidential post of India.

There has been a lot of debate about the role that the President plays and if it is even necessary to have one since the past President has not done anything for the progress of the nation.

But then again, there were Presidents like Abdul Kalam whom the entire nation loved and adored. Everyone is showing their support for the return of Mr. Kalam to the Presidential post so that we can see some progress in the nation!

There have been several campaigns that have worked wonders. Sometimes big, sometimes not very – but no matter what they seem to make a difference. Be it the campaign pro and against Aamir Khan, or the fight against autos in Bangalore or the several different topics related to movies and movie stars!

Even if it does not reach the people it is meant to bring in the change that is expected, at least show the support of the common man and show what they want to stand for. And not to forget, it does spread truth about most matters and helps people to be aware of what is actually going on in the world!

Tags: abdul kalam, actors on facebook, anna hazare, Facebook Campaigns, Politicians on facebook, social media campaigns, tigers

Brands on Facebook

When Facebook was started, it was only a network where people could meet and talk to each other. It was meant to be used only by individuals to connect.

But just like everything else, it gained a commercial value as well. It became a warehouse for brands and companies. If a brand has a name for itself or wants to create a name for itself, it’s a must for it to have an existence on social media.

It is but natural for customers to have complaints about any product they buy. Facebook has become the best platform for people to voice their opinions and complaints about any brand.

It is not advisable for brands to let these complaints go unnoticed and not make a difference. It would be a smart move for them to acknowledge these complaints and let the customers know that their query/complaint will be sorted out as soon as possible. Hence leading to a happy customer, who would be looking forward to doing business with you again.

Being on social media will only benefit a brand. It will help the brand relate to the customers and understand them on a one-to-one basis. It will help them understand what works with the customers and what doesn’t, how to improve the products and satisfy customers.

Another obvious advantage is the trust factor. The facebook page of the brand shows the credibility of the brand. The more the number of fans, the more credible the brand looks.

Over the past decade, e-commerce has become one of the most prominent developments. Believe it or not, Facebook has a very strong role. It is but natural to think twice before every online transaction. A Facebook page with a strong fan following would without doubt instill faith in the end user and even push for stronger sales. Think about it, haven’t you searched for an e-commerce website on Facebook?

This blog would be incomplete if we did not touch with the positioning factor that Facebook holds for a business. It’s the perfect place to create a brand the way you want it. For example, a flashy theme of a restaurant may be flaunted on Facebook with ease… without a single of your fans yet to visit! Again reaping the benefit of this would be an e-commerce site… imagine if none of them could’ve positioned the word ‘reliability’ over their online campaigns.

The very fact that an average person logs into their account 6 times a day shows the ‘recollect’ value a brand could have on Facebook. Each time you see a brand ambassador sporting a new bag/shoe/car… the brand grows further. This being a factor a company old or new cannot ignore.

Thinking about promoting your business on Facebook? Well, the reasons could not get better!

Tags: advantages of brands on facebook, brand endorsement, Facebook Brands

Facebook – The Flip Side

Happened to read a newspaper article yesterday which stated that the number of divorces has drastically increased. Funny enough, the survey sported a very social reason to the increase…Facebook!

Yes, you read it right! FACEBOOK!

If anything, Facebook was launched with the idea of making the world a smaller place. To make it easier for people to keep in touch with each other. But whether you like it or not, over the years Facebook has become a lot more than just that!

It is said that a person logs into their Facebook account atleast 5 times a day! That is more than the number of times you speak to your mother or spouse!!

Logging into Facebook is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning and the last thing you do before you go to sleep!

Now the fact of the matter is such that, Facebook has now actually become the face of the person. It has somehow become a way for people to judge each other. What is on Facebook is the truth.  People would rather trust what is on Facebook than the person itself. But the truth is…it is doing more harm than good!

So the question for all users is…how and where do you draw the line?? How do you make sure you do not cause any harm and hurt the people close to you? To make sure you do not land up in the court for doing something stupid here? How to make sure you do not go overboard with anything or even get addicted to it?

Here are a few pointers on how you can not let Facebook rule your life!

-         Well, the first thing is to ALWAYS keep in mind that Facebook is only a medium for you to keep in touch with people…it is not your life! It is has its boundaries and flaws. Stop talking about your daily meals, the broken window pane or the fact that your dog did his business by himself!

-         It’s only reflection of you and your life…You do not need to live on this virtual one!

-         Remember, the things you do in this virtual world should be of least importance

-         You are here only to meet and keep in touch with people and maybe even play games and have some fun

-         Spend an hour or so of your free time at the max on facebook every day…not the time you have to spend with your family or loved ones… (You know something is wrong when you ask how your sibling is doing on Facebook chat!)

-         Do you really care that your acquaintance’s sister got a brand new hand bag?! Set your priorities straight!

-         Most importantly, add people you know… or atleast people you know would want to know you… not people you saw/waved at/smiled at/exchanged pleasantries with

It’s more or less likely you have logged into your Facebook account as you read this… so check the news feed, do you really care about all the news you read?!

It is high time you decide…To what extent you would like Facebook to call the shots in your life?!

Tags: court, divorce, Facebook Comments, facebook divorces, Facebook friends, Facebook likes

Facebook – The Judge of Character

It was a bright Monday morning and all that Rohan expected were Monday morning blues. But there was a lot that he dint expect in store for him. He got into a lot of trouble with his father which came as a surprise to him. Coz as far as he knew, he had done nothing ‘get-into-trouble’ worthy or atleast he had covered his tracks well enough not to get into trouble.

But that definitely wasn’t the case! His father questioned him about his whereabouts over the weekend. According to what his dad knew, he had gone for a group study session at his friend’s house.

So, how did all this happen?? Thanks to his friends tagging him in a few pictures taken at the party he attended over the weekend! His friends had forced him to attend this party as he was one of those ‘studious good-boy’ kinds who never enjoyed partying or drinking! Even though it was the first and only party he ever attended it managed to ruin his image with of his father.

And the outcome of all of this?? He ended up with a strict curfew at home which does not allow him to go out beyond 9 in the evening and night outs are a definite NO NO! And the ‘Trust’ factor has somehow immediately vanished!

Facebook is now probably the most active and popular social media platform.

The reason for the younger generation to be on social media sites like Facebook is probably to catch up with old friends, update them about what is going on in their lives and maybe even meet new people. It does not have the boundaries of having to behave or be responsible, like they have to in real life. They would like to voice their opinions, update their friends about their ‘status’ and most importantly, share photos – more often than not, controversial ones! 

And now, it’s not only the younger generation…Everyone you know is on Facebook! Be it your friends, your spouse, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles or cousins. Even your parents have an account now!

This being the case, it has become impossible for the youth to be themselves on the one place that helped them get away from the daily hassles of life! You are forced to think twice about everything you do. About the comments you leave, the pages you like, the status updates you put up and ofcourse, you definitely cannot afford to be tagged in pictures – be it with you friends, girlfriends/boyfriends, pictures from a trip you took or a party you once attended!

Having half your family on your friends list, anything and everything you do Matters! What you do or don’t do outside of Facebook, the kind of person you are, all of it is questioned. The person everyone thinks you are drastically changes…and not for the better! You are forced to make sure you maintain a crystal clear image even here. And now, it is not any different from your real life. You do not have the freedom to be and do what you please…It has boundaries too! Everything you do changes the person you are!

So the next time you are on Facebook, remember, you may have your Character at stake!!

Tags: facebook, Facebook friends

Facebook page admins can schedule posts, assign roles

In one of the most anticipated feature roll outs, Facebook has made life easy for page managers providing them a set of features they are going to love. Page admins can now schedule posts six months in advance, each post at an interval of atleast 15 minutes.

According to Facebook Help Centre page, ‘You can prepare a post and schedule it to appear later by adding a date and time in the future before you post it. You can schedule a post up to 6 months in advance in 15-minute interval.

You can also post in the back date by choosing a date in the past. The post will appear immediately at the appropriate place on your Page’s timeline. All times correspond to the current time zone you’re in.

Another big change that will make community managers happy is the option to assign roles to page admins. Page admins can have 5 different roles, each with different abilities. Only managers can change what kind of admin someone is. All admins are managers by default.

The Facebook Help Centre page provides a table (below) that outlines the 5 admin roles and what they’re able to do:

Have you started using these features?

Tags: facebook applications, facebook marketing, India, ODigMa, social media, social media marketing

8 Simple Facebook Page Engagement Ideas! How to Increase Engagement on your Page?

Brands exist on Facebook to be able to communicate and create a rapport with their customers and connect with them on a personal level. And in order to achieve that, they indulge in engaging their fans on the brand page.

Having said that, what exactly is Page Engagement??
Engagement is any interacting which happens on the Facebook page and includes:
- Likes
- Comments
- Shares

In this day and age, there is no better way to reach out and engage with both present and potential consumers in social media than through an active Facebook Page!

Now, here are the best ways to assure high engagement on your Timeline?
• Cover Photo:
Your page’s Cover Photo appears right at the top of the Timeline. That is the first thing a user sees when they enter your page. Therefore, it is very important that you have a visually-attractive photo.

• Pinned Posts:
A Pinned post remains on top of your timeline for 7 days. So when you have an important message that you want to convey to your customers, ensure that you Pin it!

• Highlighted Posts:
Want a post to be highlighted and eye catchy? Simple…Highlight it on the page! This will ensure that the post and image appear prominently on the page by expanding to the width of your page.

• Ask Specific Questions:
On every post that goes on the page, ask questions that require short, crisp answers. This ensures higher engagement on the page.

• Post photos that provoke Comments, Likes & Shares:
The simplest way to get people to interact on your page is by posting interesting pictures. Pictures and Videos get the most number of posts and likes ever!

• Give people a chance to share their knowledge and expertise:
Being social requires you to being open to listening to others’ opinions. Give people an opportunity to voice their views and opinions on your page.

• Be authentic and be yourself:
Make sure you post about things that people relate to and not only about topics related to your industry/products.

• Post Often:
To ensure high engagement on the page, you need to be very active on the page. You need to post often enough to connect with the customers.

Tags: Facebook Comments, Facebook Fans, Facebook likes, Facebook Page, facebook timeline, Fan Pages, Page Engagement

Facebook Matrimony

While most of us use Facebook as a virtual hangout/pastime, a lot of people are using Facebook a groundwork that helps them decide on a life-partner in an arrange Marriage.

So there is no more rotation of bio-data’s and pictures, people just log in to see what the other individual is like, on Facebook! 

A female friend of mine whose parents asked her to look up for a boy’s profile on Facebook, overruled the boy because he used a very tacky line in the “About me” description and his profile picture was very distant, which made her assume that he must be ugly so he does not have the self-assurance for a closer picture.

So what are the dos and don’ts one must follow while dating and considering marraige?

1. Avoid friending your partner’s cousins and family members. They have a habit of going through your oldest albums and digging up your glorious past.

4. Do not post 24×7 love messages, pictures and videos on your partner’s wall. It’s can get super irritating if not for you then for your friends who unfortunately are forced to witness your sweet nothings day and night.

Facebook is no more as casual as we would like to believe, it’s a platform for people to judge you. If you’re not on Facebook you are considered old fashioned or an alien, and if you are then there is no escaping the judging eyes.

Is it okay to lie a little on Facebook when considering marriage? Share your opinion

Tags: couples, engagement, facebook, facebook applications, Facebook apps, facebook timeline, faceboook, India, marriage, ODigMa, social media marketing, social networking, viral, weddings

Facebook Timeline is the star of Katy Perry’s video

Facebook Timeline offers a great storytelling experience with updates, events, and milestones documenting the journey you or your favourite brand had taken over the years.

At Billboard Music Awards held on Sunday May 20, pop star Katy Perry unveiled her new song ‘Wide Awake’ featuring Facebook timeline. The video is shot in a timeline format starting since May 10,2010, when she had announced the release of her album ‘Teenage Dream.’

Katy Perry's Facebook Page

The timeline video shows her journey through various songs in the form of status updates, video updates and images. It showcases
her career so far. Katy Perry’s Facebook page has more than 43 Million likes making her the 7th most popular musician on Facebook.

You can watch the video here.

Tags: facebook applications, facebook marketing solutions, Katy Perry, ODigMa, social media marketing, teenage dream

Day after IPO, Mark Zuckerberg marries girlfriend Priscilla

Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg

It has been a busy week for Mark Zuckerberg who married his girlfriend Priscilla Chan in the backyard of his Palo Alto home on Saturday (May 19, 2012).

Just a few hours before the ceremony Facebook’s much anticipated IPO had hit the market bringing the company at $104 valuation. It’s been eight years since Facebook was founded in Harvard University’s dorm.

Neary 100 guests at the wedding were in for a surprise as they thought they were there to celebrate Priscilla’s graduation from the UC San Francisco. This was also the week when Mark Zuckerberg celebrated his 28th birthday.

Mark was quick to change his relationship status on Facebook and add his image with the beautiful bride in the wedding gown. Just look at the number of likes on his update, nearly touching a million as Facebook users started to congratulate the couple. You can wish them here.

We at ODigMa wish them a very happy married life ahead

Tags: facebook applications, facebook marketing, mark zuckerberg, ODigMa, priscilla chan, social media marketing