One of the most powerful tactics in marketing that Facebook has, is The Events app.
It is something that can do three things:
1) It can establish you as an Expert in your field.
It is focused on featuring you and your message. It will help maximize your exposure and also introduce you to new people via the News Feed. This will help you become more visible as well as branded. This is a win win situation for you and your message.
2) It can help push your message out as worthy of Listening to.
This is critical. Many people have great messages, but do not really “get out there†enough to be heard. Facebook events can help alleviate that challenge. it can create visibility that you once only dreamed of-and continue to do so.
3) It can start a Connection process with people who are checking out your event.
Many people that may have never heard of you, will connect to your event, and to your event page. The event page is a GREAT place to network as well with the people that you invited. All you do is go tp your facebook profile, and type in “events” in the search box. The events page pops up, and you will see”create an event.” Follow the directions as it is a wizard fill in the blanks template.
Ands here are 2 critical marketing moves:
1) Have someone host it for you.
It will add more credibility with what you are doing. People seem to pay more attention to a Facebook event when it is hosted by someone else and promoted by someone else.
2) Have other people invite their friends for you.
This ia a great way to expand your reach with facebook Marketing. The secret is to let others become the broadcasters of the event, and you become the “conversation†that is talked about. You then can build your brand beyond where you are, and get it out past where you are currently.
We call this “3rd Party Broadcast Marketing.â€ÂÂ
A third party broadcasts your event to as many people as they possibly can, and then broadcast again. Broadcast it across the social media landscape. On Twitter. OnPlurk. On Pownce. On myspace. And then let the viral marketing start to happen by putting up a youtube video about the facebook event.
Facebook events are a powerful platform to start building your brand. I would suggest that you come up with a powerful topic that people wouild be interested in, and then put an event together for it. It is how you market on facebook and Social Media Marketing.
Doug Firebaugh
Social Media Training Network