Eight Powerful Plays for Scoring Big with Social Media

IntroductIonwe didn’t write thiS Book to School you on the fundaMentalS of Social Media.In fact, we wrote it for experienced marketers like you, who have established lucrative

social media channels for their businesses, and continue to forge meaningful

connections with the customers, fans, and followers they serve. Because like you,

we’re enthusiastic about the ongoing impact social media can have on businesses

in the future.

But we also understand that there are those among us who don’t share our

enthusiasm. Despite the fact that a growing number of consumers are using social

media to engage the brands they love, and to engage fellow consumers who share

that love, there are those who say that social media is an immeasurable and passing

fad, with no real impact on one’s bottom line.

We’re confident this book will demonstrate otherwise.

ExactTarget’s Social Media Quick Plays features eight powerful, measurable social

media tactics that can double and even triple your ROI. Tactics, that when powered

by tools like SocialEngage and SocialPages, will allow you to listen, engage, publish,

measure, and scale in ways in ways you may have never imagined.

Table of conTenTsThe Likeable Invitation 1

The Photo Op 2

The Personalized Promotion 3

The Compelling Coupon 4

The Amender 5

The Cunning Crowdsourcer 6

The Custom Crossover 7

The Geo-Targeter 8

Conclusion 9

Glossary of Terms 10

* Indicates a clickable item that redirects you to the Glossary of Terms for definition.

uSe eMail to invite cuStoMerS to like your faceBook page.

Play #1:the lIkeable InvItatIonit payS to Be liked.According to a recent case study by Forrester Research, Facebook users who liked

the Facebook page of a popular smartphone manufacturer were 5.6 times more

likely to have purchased the brand’s device than non-fans. For a major soft drink

brand, a staggering 95 percent were more likely to purchase one of its products.

Simply put, consumers tend to buy from brands whose Facebook pages they like.

If it pays to be liked, it stands to reason that your page should garner as many likes

as possible. We recommend using your subscriber list to grow your fan base by

emailing invites to your Facebook page.

Use exacttarget email* to bUild and manage yoUr email campaign.

With ExactTarget email, you can create persuasive emails inviting customers to like your Facebook page using a wide range of user-friendly content creation tools.

bUild a compelling Facebook page with socialpages*.

Build, manage, and track your Facebook page from one easy-to-use platform using ExactTarget’s SocialPages—without the need for complicated coding.

Use Fan-gated content* to incentivize Fan conversion.

Fan-gated content requires that users like your page to view special offers. Create compelling content that only fans can view and visitors will like to access.

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Play #2:the Photo oPa picture iS worth 1,000 likeS.It’s a simple concept: Invite customers to take pictures of themselves engaged

with your products or services, and share them on Facebook. Photo contests

are among the most popular on Facebook, and they can supercharge a brand’s

following overnight.

In 2011, a leading cosmetics brand hosted a Facebook contest inviting users to

upload photos of their lipstick-laden lips—to be judged by a jury of their peers—for

a chance to be featured as the “cover photo” for their Facebook page in Switzerland.

183 users submitted photos, while over 9,000 voted for their favorite. In just three

weeks, the brand attracted 10,000 new fans to their Facebook page.

What better way to showcase your products in a social environment than in the

hands of REAL customers? Consider a Facebook photo contest that highlights the

experiences your products offer.

create a simple contest that interests yoUr aUdience.

You already know the likes and interests of your audience. So devise a contest you’re sure they’ll enjoy. And keep it simple!

oFFer prizes related to yoUr prodUcts or services.

You want to attract fans who are genuinely interested in what you do, and not merely in the rewards you offer. So be sure to choose prizes that complement your industry.

bUild a powerFUl Facebook contest with socialpages* and strUtta*.

You can easily build a powerful Facebook page with the SocialPages editor. And you can use Strutta—an ExactTarget partner gear—to build and manage your contest with tools for tracking contest visits, views, votes, and entries from a simple dashboard.

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create a faceBook photo conteSt to attract new followerS of your Brand.

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Play #3:the PersonalIzed PromotIoncreate relevant offerS with perSonal appeal.Picture this: Jim, a guy in his mid-fifties who loves fishing, receives an email

promotion from his favorite sporting goods store advertising 30 percent off on all

sports bras. It’s a classic case of a poorly targeted offer—an oversight that happens

all too often. And with many of today’s targeted messaging tools, there’s really no

excuse for missing the mark.

It only makes sense to offer your customers products that interest them. So we

suggest building targeted email campaigns and Facebook tabs based on the

attributes of your subscribers and fans.

Use exacttarget email* to create cUstom, personalized messages.

With ExactTarget Email’s advanced content management features, you can create specialized email messages based on criteria you select from a database of your customers’ preferences.

Use socialpages* and get smart content to FeatUre highly targeted

content on a Facebook tab.

Build your Facebook tab with SocialPages, and customize it with ExactTarget partner gear, Get Smart Content. Get Smart Content personalizes content for each visitor to your Facebook tab based on his or her previous engagements with your Facebook page or website.

sell FeatUred prodUcts directly From yoUr Facebook page

with moontoast*.

Take your targeted content one step further by inviting visitors to purchase your featured products directly from Facebook. With ExactTarget partner gear, Moontoast, you can implement a “Social Store” anywhere on your page.

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create Meaningful eMail and faceBook proMotionS that hit the Mark.

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Play #4:the comPellIng couPoncreate couponS that catch on.Withstanding the test of time, the coupon has transitioned effortlessly from news

pages to webpages, finding new life in the digital age. Studies repeatedly show that

Facebook campaigns offering coupons receive the highest response rates. In fact,

according to a 2010 ExactTarget study, the top reason consumers like or follow

a brand is to receive special deals and discounts.

So it should come as no surprise that we think coupon offers are an excellent way

to build a following for your brand. Consider offering engaging coupon promotions

on your Facebook page that fans feel compelled to share.

sweeten the deal as cUstomers like yoUr page.

For example, consider an initial coupon offering for a 15 percent discount, coupled with an offer to increase the discount to 20 percent, should your page reach a predetermined threshold of likes. Inviting users to participate in the promotion encourages interaction with your brand and reaches new fans.

Use socialpages and the Fan-gated content* FeatUre to bUild

yoUr promotion.

ExactTarget’s SocialPages makes it easy to build a coupon promotion within your Facebook page using a drag-and-drop editor, or custom HTML. And with fan-gated content, you can require that users like your page to view special offers.

Use the social proFile connector* to reach oUt to yoUr most

inFlUential Facebook Fans.

With ExactTarget’s Social Profile Connector , you can determine whom your most influential subscribers are, and reach out to them personally with ExactTarget Email to notify them of your promotion.

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offer coMpelling couponS on your faceBook page.

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Play #5:the amendercalMing a criSiS with conStructive converSationS.In early 2010, a major auto manufacturer was faced with a massive recall—one that

received heavy criticism and worldwide media attention. But rather than dodge the

spotlight, they stepped into the middle of it, opening a dialogue and answering

customers questions through social media outlets. In the end, the brand turned

a crisis into an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to their customers,

products, and services.

When mistakes are made, proactively fielding the criticism that follows is imperative.

We recommend making things right by leveraging all of your social media outlets

to engage your fans and followers with meaningful conversations.

vigoroUsly monitor yoUr brand’s online mentions.

You can’t properly address a crisis if you don’t know what’s being said. And if you’re a big brand with a large following, important exchanges can be easily missed. Have a system in place that ensures you’re listening carefully.

reply to criticism and concerns promptly, bUt sincerely.

While it’s important to consider your dialogue carefully, be sure to address concerns in a timely manner. Replying five days into a crisis may be too late.

Use socialengage* to manage all oF yoUr social media commUnication.

Using real-time tools in SocialEngage, you can stay on top of social media activity with mention alerts, one-click responses to common questions, and a comprehensive management dashboard.

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Manage a criSiS with Meaningful Social Media engageMent.

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Play #6:the cunnIng crowdsourceran affordaBle focuS group at your fingertipS.When a major snack brand decided it wanted to introduce a new potato chip flavor

to its line of products, they turned to their loyal fan base on Facebook, rather than

pursuing their traditional practice of formal market research. The brand invited

participants to pick their ingredients, name their flavors, and share their inspiration

for their entries for a chance to win $1 million dollars. To-date, 1.1 million people

have participated.

When spending big bucks on formal market research isn’t sensible or affordable,

why not tap into your focus group of Facebook fans and Twitter followers? Consider

a crowdsourcing campaign that builds awareness for your brand, while inviting fans

to have a hand in creating the products they love.

manage yoUr entire crowdsoUrcing campaign with socialengage*.

Engage customers with questions, view conversation histories, and organize communication across all of your social media accounts from one platform with SocialEngage.

manage high volUmes oF entries with tags* and assignments*.

Tags in SocialEngage can help you manage and save idea entries and correspondence with participants, while assignments divide tasks among your team members.

Use reporting* For key insights into yoUr campaign.

Measure the success of your campaign with SocialEngage Reporting. Combine, print, and export reports to create tangible results.

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teSt that neXt great idea with the help of your twitter followerS and faceBook fanS.

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Play #7:the customer crossoverBridge the gap Between fanS, followerS, and SuBScriBerS.Recently, a leading footwear brand was challenged by a disparity between its email

subscribers and Facebook fans: It had more of the latter than the former. So their

marketing team turned to ExactTarget for ways to even the scales. We helped them

create a tab that greeted visitors to their Facebook page with a 20 percent off coupon

offer in exchange for their contact information. And with every click of the submit

button, subscriber data was immediately funneled directly to a database within

the ExactTarget Email platform, and followed with an automated email welcoming

new subscribers.

To reach any business goal, it’s smart to start with what you already have. We suggest

building a fan or subscriber base from customers who are already enthusiastic about

your brand.

create an eFFective Facebook page with socialpages*.

Using ExactTarget’s SocialPages, build a tab that collects email data without redirecting users away from Facebook, which can otherwise hinder conversion rates.

Use Fan-gated content* to encoUrage likes and inFo sUbmission.

With Fan-Gated Content in SocialPages, visitors must first like your Facebook page or submit their user information before accessing your special offer.

manage yoUr growing list oF new sUbscribers with exacttarget email*.

ExactTarget Email’s list management tools can organize hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and create segmented groups based on any combination of user criteria.

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turn loyal faceBook fanS into proMiSing eMail SuBcriBerS.

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Build a Stronger following with More relevant engageMentS By geo-targeting.

Play #8:the geo-targetercater to the cuStoMS of conSuMerS around the world.When a young music lover started a fan site for Jamaican music enthusiasts,

it seemed only natural to create a Facebook fan page for the project as interest

began to grow. But it wasn’t until he began to geo-target his engagements with

his diverse following when his page’s fandom began to skyrocket. Geo-targeting

enabled him to attract major sponsors and a growing audience of fans from more

than 230 countries. Today, the page boasts over 2.1 million followers.

Geo-targeting allows you to initiate engagements that are more relevant to specific

segments of your diverse fans and followers. We suggest tailoring your messaging

to create stronger connections with consumers around the globe.

geo-target yoUr social media messaging with socialengage* and

get smart content*.

Draft Facebook posts, Tweets, and other social messages from your SocialEngage dashboard, and direct them to specific, geographic segments of your audience. Use Get Smart Content to personalize content for each visitor to your Facebook tab based on his or her previous engagements with your Facebook page or website.

create workgroUps* and assignments* to manage speciFic

geographic areas.

With SocialEngage, you can organize teams around geographic regions using Workgroups, or assign tasks for certain geographic areas to specific team members.

commUnicate across the globe with socialengage* translation tools.

Translation tools in SocialEngage allow users to read your audience’s social messages in their native language, no matter what language they were written in.

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conclusIonthe future of Social Media and itS influence on BuSineSSeS worldwide iS an open Book. And we hope this book has opened you up to the impact it can have on your business

today—right now. Because as long as people remain inherently social, and as long

as there are outlets online inviting them to socialize, social media is here to stay.

To learn more about how ExactTarget’s social media tools can impact your business,

contact us today.

General InquIrIes 1.866.362.4538

onlIne ExactTarget.com/products

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Check out the glossary of terms

Glossary of TermsassIGnmenTs: SocialEngage has a built-in workflow tool that enables users to assign

or claim inbound messages to effectively manage social media as a team.

exacTTarGeT emaIl: ExactTarget’s email marketing solutions enable organizations of all sizes to

power data-driven campaigns and real-time communications, fueling customer

engagement, increasing sales, and improving return on marketing investments.

exacTTarGeT socIal: ExactTarget’s suite of social media marketing products empower organizations

with advanced tools for accelerating the effectiveness of social marketing

campaigns, and connecting with consumers in real time.

fan-GaTed conTenT: Fan-Gated Content is a SocialPages feature that generates content for Facebook

pages requiring users to “like” the page to view special offers or exclusive content.

GeT smarT conTenT™: Get Smart Content is an ExactTarget partner gear that customizes messages,

images, and calls-to-action on websites and social pages for unique audience

segments and individual users.

InTeracTIve markeTInG Hub: ExactTarget’s Interactive Marketing Hub is a robust management platform linking

all of ExactTarget’s offerings for powerful, comprehensive marketing campaigns

across email, social, mobile, and web.

moonToasT™: Moontoast is an ExactTarget partner gear and commerce platform that facilitates

engagement and monetization of consumers via social media networks, distributed

affiliate sites, and advertising networks.

reporTInG: Reporting in SocialEngage identifies metrics from social media campaigns

to provide real insights into social marketing efforts.

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smarT capTure: Part of SocialPages, Smart Capture enables users to easily build forms

to collect customer data on Facebook pages, and grow subscriber lists

across channels.

socIalenGaGe: Part of ExactTarget Social, SocialEngage enables organizations to manage

unlimited amounts of social media conversations with features that easily

scale to support engagement growth and staffing strategies.

socIalpaGes: Part of ExactTarget Social, SocialPages empowers users with a platform

for building branded Facebook fan pages—or revising existing ones—

with custom HTML and an intuitive drag-and-drop editor.

socIal profIle connecTor: Social Profile Connector is a service that interfaces with Klout—

a web-based social media influence measurement tool—to retrieve public

subscriber user-data, such as topics of interest, Twitter use, and overall

“social influence” scores.

sTruTTa™: Strutta is an ExactTarget partner gear that makes it easy for marketers

to build, launch, and manage powerful social promotions with do-it-

yourself tools.

TaGs: Tags in SocialEngage help users track, measure, and notify internal team

members about inbound messages. Tags can be customized according

to location, product line, brand, business unit, topic, and more.

WorkGroups: Workgroups can be created in SocialEngage for the purpose of dividing

workflows among large social media marketing management teams.

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