Facebook isn’t for everyone

Kelli Brignac

I have a confession. After work and on weekends, I avoid Facebook. It seems strange for someone who seems to live social media for several clients, but that’s actually the primary reason I avoid it. I’m on Facebook all day long. I’ve got 10 business pages to check on. So, while I see a lot of what gets posted on the platform, I rarely post things to my own wall (much to my family’s chagrin, as my mom and sister decided to out my pregnancy on Mother’s Day after I hadn’t posted it myself).

Needless to say, I have come to value face-to-face interaction more than I did before. When my sister asked why I hadn’t told the Facebook world I was expecting, I told her that it’s so much cooler to tell people in person.

But how does all this affect a brand? We know Facebook has changed significantly since it started, but is it still a must-have platform for everyone? My guess is it’s not. So, here are a few lessons I’ve learned from the hours I spend on the platform weekly.

It’s not free advertising.

When Facebook first started, “early adopter” brands created their own profiles to get in front of users. It didn’t take long for Facebook to create what we now know as the fan page (or business page). At first, brand reach was outstanding! As long as a person liked the page and was on Facebook to see the update, it was delivered to his/her newsfeed. Facebook needed brand content to diversify its platform.

After several years, it seems every business has its own page. Now, it’s a fight for reach. Facebook has continually decreased organic reach for brand posts to as low as 1 percent of the audience. They say it’s because they deliver what users want to see, but conveniently enough, you can still get all the reach you want – if you’re willing to pay for it. Does organic reach still exist? Yes. Is it a foolproof way to save money or get some free buzz? Not anymore.

It’s saturated.

Sometimes, I literally facepalm when I see businesses asking for likes on their page. I drove by a mini-storage place the other day and their readerboard said, “Like us on Facebook.” And all I could think was “Why would I ever do that?” For the purpose of this blog, I looked it up and – get this – THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE A PAGE. They have one created by a user with a single one-star review, no photo and no posts.

Not everyone needs to be on Facebook. First, if your demographic isn’t using the platform, it’s a waste of your time. We know users younger than 18 are a small (and shrinking) portion of Facebook’s user base. So if you want to market to them, consider Instagram instead.

Manage your expectations.

While it’s safe to say your posts won’t reach the majority of your fans unless you boost them, there may still be a place for your content on Facebook. For example, I like a local women’s boutique, but their posts almost never show up in my newsfeed. However, if I’m in the market for a new dress, I will go to their page and check out their latest inventory photos before I go into the store. So their content, while not delivered, is serving its purpose. The same goes for my Crossfit gym. Their content is never delivered to me, but I frequently visit their page to check on event information or daily workouts.

If you create content for the purpose of people who want to see it, you’ll be in good shape. On the other hand, if all your content is gimmicky (i.e. like us to get a discount this month), you’re unlikely to attract high-quality fans, retain them or actually convert them into long-term customers.

At the end of all this, the lesson is to know your audience, understand your own expectations for your social content and, if you choose to spend, spend wisely.

‘It’s wedding season’ – and a few of our other fave commercials right now

Crissy Lintner

We all have our favorite advertising campaigns, and one of my favorites right now is SouthwestAirlines’ “Wedding Season.” This is a continuation of the fall’s campaign of the same name, featuring the same dancing gal at multiple different weddings (touting Southwest’s fare sale). But, what makes an ad campaign great? In this particular campaign, it’s the humor and strategy. The creative geniuses behind Southwest’s Wedding Season campaign developed something around what is a very true reality for many women (and men) right now – wedding after wedding after wedding in city after city after city. They achieved a fun campaign that resonates in a fun way and that some experts think might lead to the eventual marriage of the dancing girl (considering she caught the bouquet in this one). We will see what Southwest comes up with next!

What other campaigns are we loving and watching closely? Here are a few of our faves and why we love them!

The Sonic Guys:

Yes, they’ve been around awhile (a long while), but they still make us chuckle. Kerri sent her favorite one running right now.

The Sonic Guys: Tax Day

And Sarah L. added this to our beloved Sonic Guys series.

United Healthcare: Our Song

Ali and Chelsey both shared this one, which I hadn’t seen yet. We love how funny it is, but what a great way to tie in the message of their Virtual Clinics (which is exactly what they want you to take away from the commercial).

Android: Friends fur-ever

You can never go wrong with animals, right? Intern Brooke shared this one – and oodelally, it’s a cutie. The message? You don’t have to follow the same trends as everyone else. Be unique.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager:“History Channel: Sons of Liberty”

Sarah B. shared this one and all its wit. What a great tie-in to pop culture and the history of the brewery (and its namesake).

Lowe’s: Fitted Sheets

We’ve all been there - nothing is more frustrating than folding a fitted sheet, and the folks at Lowe’s have tapped into that very thing with their “Fitted Sheets” commercial. Relevant and still hitting home the original message (Lowe’s can help you DIY anything and leave you feeling empowered), it’s a great mixture of humor and branding. 

Subaru: Loyalty and Backseat

I have to agree with Courtney – the Subaru commercials are pretty wonderful. They showcase the brand as a feeling: love. And they humanize their brand in a very effective way. Their commercials show their commitment to safety and loyalty as a reliable and trusted vehicle. And none is as sweet as this particular commercial.

Allstate: Mayhem

And as Kelli said, “I find that most commercials annoy me way more than they are great, but I do have a renewed love for Mayhem ever since the most awesome campaign ever with the Mayhem Sale at the Sugar Bowl.” I have to agree – that was a great campaign bringing home the point that, well, if you’re not home, your stuff isn’t necessarily safe! Really, Kelli likes all of Mayhem, so check out the series on the Allstate YouTube account here.

Do you have a favorite campaign right now? Go share on our Facebook page!

Native Advertising: The Irony and the Reality

Ali Glemser

According to Sharethrough, the world’s largest in-feed advertising organization, native advertising is a form of paid mass media where the ad experience follows the natural form and function of the user experience in which it is placed.

This is growing particularly popular among advertisers in the digital space and is a contributing reason to why mobile-ad spending has now surpassed advertising dollars spent on traditional media such as radio and newspapers. As successful as this tactic has been for advertisers, the public is starting to catch on to what many are saying is leaving them feeling tricked and/or deceived. Specifically, a recent study by a company that pairs brands with writers to produce native ads reported that two-thirds of respondents said they felt deceived when they realized that what they thought was genuine editorial content was really sponsored by a brand.

I can’t say I blame this group; my initial reaction is a feeling of deception, too. But, when you take a look back, brands have been doing this for many years in print, radio and television media. Only now does the development of the digital space give them an opportunity to further the evolution of this idea.

The simple equation that many content consumers forget is media outlets exists because of advertisers. Advertising dollars pay the bills for these outlets to research, create and publish content; subscriptions are only a very little slice of the income pie for print, radio, television and digital outlets because consumers are not willing to pay high prices for media consumption.

And now, as consumers try to hack the content in the digital space to get around pay walls, outlets are feeling the heat from advertisers to get their ads as much exposure as possible – hence, the concept of native advertising.

The Irony: Native advertising exists and evolves as consumers try to avoid paying for media content and as media outlets try to combat this avoidance to please the hand that feeds them – advertisers.

The Reality: Native advertising isn’t going away any time soon, unless consumers decide to start paying for all content they consume and outlets see an overwhelming subscription response as a result.

But, don’t forget that advertisers are trying to show they are listening to consumers through native advertising, as well. Many of these ads are videos, images, music and other media designed to be engaging based upon feedback from consumers.

Native advertising shows all the signs of a tactic that is here to stay. My advice would be to pay close attention to what media you consume, and if you are invested in the subject of the content, read articles, watch videos or listen to broadcasts from multiple sources to form the most educated opinion on something. Remember, as a consumer you have the responsibility of taking the necessary steps to be accurately informed.