The answer really depends on your fan base and what you really think your potential is.  As a general rule you can expect your social media fans to be about a third of your regular customers, maybe a little more if you have a younger tech savvy group and maybe a little less if it goes the other way but you should be able to get at least a solid third of your audience on your social media sites.  It might not happen right away and it might not happen on your first big fan exclusive giveaway.  I’ve worked on pages that didn’t see a jump for 3 months and suddenly took off.  One year into your social media run you should be on the track to get a third of your core audience on your sites and talking.

If you look at things after that first year and you think you’re a little behind you could try building more of a dialogue.  If you aren’t getting the response you like it might help to switch up the tone to keep things fresh.  Sometimes a simple change in tone can be enough to bring some people back in who haven’t been taking.  A year into things you should have a good natural report with your audience.   Don’t be afraid to relax a little and let things hang loose.  One of the advantages of social media is that you can really get to know your audience and show your place has personality.

Other reasons why, after a solid year, you might now be where you want to be is because you haven’t added enough to your website to make things worth clicking on.  It’s like a restaurant that’s been open for a year and is still under construction.  After a while it starts to look like they just don’t care and it makes you not want to go as much.  The same is true with a Facebook page.  If all you do is post links and comments your page will look half finished and you won’t get the response you are capable of.  Search engines like Google respond better when you post pictures and add custom tabs.  The more graphics you use the better.  At the very least it sends the message that you care about your social media and want new fans.  At the most it will give people a reason to talk more on and about your page giving you a big boost in fan count and interaction and give you a big SEO advantage.

One thing you can do once you’ve established yourself is try and get some information out of your fan base.  Don’t be afraid to use them for a focus group to learn more and ask them questions.  If nothing else the internet is full of people willing to give their opinion.  It can get you some good information and get people talking.

Ultimately while it’s true that social media can sometimes take a while to really take off and it could be some time before you see results, after about a year you should start seeing some sign of where you are going.  If you don’t think you are on your way to something usable it could be something as simple as a change in tone or stepping up with some pictures and an add on or two.  If you think it’s just a question of people not finding it just yet you could try a promotion in house that is tied to your social media.  Sometimes those people don’t stick but you will probably get a few of them.  Above all don’t give up.  The audience is there.  You just have to get their attention.

The Magic of Social Media

How Valuable Are Heavy Social Media Users, Anyway?

Restaurants Are Hungry for Your Business; Social Media is Their Platter

The question is, how do you avoid having your fan count and comments plateau and how do you keep those fans interested a few months down the line? One thing you could do is try more engagement messages. People tend to lose interest if all you do is use social media for a bull horn. If all you do is shout about sales and your upcoming in-house promotions people aren’t going to feel like they joined a community. They’re going to think they joined a mailing list instead of a social media site. That could create some backlash that could show up on your page in a negative way. One thing a lot of companies do that makes it seem like they’re shouting too much is they repeat the name of the page in their Facebook ads. I’ve noticed that many marketing departments who don’t know how to use social media do this. It’s how they were taught to write advertising in print and other forms of media but it comes across as patronizing in social media.
You don’t need to tell people who you are. They already know you. That’s why they’re your fan.

An engagement message is essentially a post designed to get people talking without making them feel like they’re being spammed with messages. You can ask a question that’s on topic or something that’s just for fun. Your Facebook page is, above all, a place for like minded people to communicate under your banner and you never know what could get them started. It could be a movie, a funny news item, or just asking people to tell a story. You won’t be short of material asking people to talk about themselves. I had great success with a social media page by posting links to The Onion.

Another reason people start to plateau as far as fan count goes is that they forget to do promotions specific to social media. Ultimately even if you have the best ad campaign and the best social media site with all the bells and whistles eventually you have to stop telling people about the great deals they get and show them something. It doesn’t have to be a huge something but it definitely has to be something. Even if you just give them a coupon or a some little free trinkets for coming in if you don’t do something to stimulate growth every month a half –two months or so you are going to start losing peoples interest and that will cost you some fans.
Ultimately you just need to pay attention and give your social media site some attention.

Eventually, after your fans get comfortable and your fan count grows big enough, the conversation will be self sustaining and you’ll have more posters then you know what to do with but till that time comes you’re going to have to show it some attention including some little giveaways and above all don’t shout at people. The great thing about social media is that your message gets put on the same level as the customer. They click on you because they already have some sense of brand loyalty. You can either shout at them and maybe move a few more units or you can harness that loyalty and build it into something bigger.

How to Measure Your Facebook Engagement

How To Run a Social Media Contest

Smart Travel Tips: Five Ways Social Media is Helping Airlines and Passengers Stay Connected

Like some other major companies that are faced with a tough starting period, Sirius is trying to get ahead by throwing money at their competition’s top acts. (DreamWorks did the same thing when it raided Disney’s talent and executive pool in the 90s and Microsoft has Nintendo’s top talent on the X-Box.)  The biggest name, and the one that has gotten Satellite radio the most press is Howard Stern.  This week they announced that Howard Stern, after a long public battle, has resigned with Sirius for $400 million over five years. (That’s about $2 Thousand dollars for every minute of air time.)

It looks like Sirius is putting all their stock in this guy.  The question is, can one man save an entire medium?  Howard’s got a very loyal and dedicated following that looks like it will follow him anywhere.  So clearly if they didn’t resign him they would have more than likely lost a good portion of their audience.  Stern, who has a habit of picking fights with his bosses on air, has proven that the “King of All Media” tag isn’t just bragging.  He’s created a media frenzy unlike anything satellite radio has experienced.   He did essentially the same thing Lebron James and Brett Farve did in the last year.  But while they were derided as egomaniacs and are still being talked about negatively months later Howard was cast as a hero.  If Sirius did it on purpose it would actually have been a very good move.  Maybe he’s worth the money just for that reason alone.

One mistake Sirius made was committing to almost no advertising way to early in their run.  If they had supplemented their subscription fee with a little ad revenue they could have more capitol to advertise, get talent and they could lower the number of ads later.  As it stands, other than spending $400 million they can’t seem to get their name in the paper which is absolutely a necessity if you are doing something that’s trying to reinvent a medium.   Taking some ad revenue as well as pay subscription also gives them a huge advantage over the FCC regulated airwaves.  You don’t have to adhere to the standards of decency.  I’m not saying every ad should be filthy.  But they could get some good buzz by running ads the normal stations can’t.

Another way Sirius can rethink their ad campaign and maybe garner some more press without dropping half a billion dollars is taking a page from MySpace (Not the Current MySpace that is slowly dying from neglect but the MySpace of a few years ago that was far and away the most visited site on the web.)  They need to promote their own content instead of the options they provide.  Clearly options aren’t bringing in the listeners they hoped for.  (Historically speaking the “we have options’ advertising has always been kinda weak in my estimation.  It’s not working in cell phones now and both McDonalds and Starbucks started out with successful campaigns based around having only a few simple choices) MySpace promoted themselves as the place to get the hippest and newest musical acts.  They made it seem like if you weren’t paying attention to them you were missing something.  In short, they made themselves vital something Sirius hasn’t been able to do.

Ultimately satellite radio has not been the threat to traditional radio that some predicted it would be.  If it is going to be it’s going to have to make room for commercials.  I think the lack of success for satellite radio actually bodes well for the strength of the traditional format.  It’s actually an underrated place to put your advertising dollars.

www.mediaspy.org/report/2010/12/14/radio-advertising-revenue-up-in-november/
www.kingofalltrades.com/2010/12/13/sirius-xm-radio-has-eventful-december-to-remember/
seekingalpha.com/article/241755-will-winter-hit-sirius-analysts

Netflix announced that there Digital Streaming site is actually now doing more business than the direct mail DVD division.  This is huge for the not just for them, and not just for the movie business, but for the future of the internet, television, and digital marketing.  Obviously the places taking the biggest hit are Blockbuster and other video rental places.  The studios are still putting their support behind the major retailer stores and rental places by placing this 30 day waiting period on Netflix.  Comcast’s new campaign is centered around the fact that they don’t have a 30 day waiting period showing that they are afraid that once internet becomes standard in all TVs (It comes with most new models from Sony, Toshiba, and most of them now.) sites like Netflix are going to take there movie rental business.  This thirty day waiting period the major film distributors put in place is just a stall and probably won’t last too much longer.

It also effects movie studios by making first run home and theater releases possible, once that silly 30 day period is taken out.  As I said last week the movie companies are pricing out families and that’s not a good thing.  If you are a father of 2 and your kids are itching to see Harry Potter and you could click a button at home and get the new Harry Potter for 35 dollars in your house you’re probably very happy considering that you’re spending more than that on snacks and tickets. (If you would do this feel free to leave comments.) Streaming video might just be the shot in the arm the movie companies need to rethink there aging business model.

Anyone who reads my articles knows that I’ve been preaching the idea that 24/7 connectivity and the idea that your TV, computer, and phone are going to be the same thing very soon.  This is the next step in that.  Since Netflix has proven that video streaming is viable as a monetized media it has started expanding into the smart phones and other devices.  You can now watch Netflix from any device you have.  This will lead to other companies running with the same model and don’t be surprised if the major television networks start monetizing even more with a pay per episode models.

As far as your advertising dollars go it’s only a matter of time before the major movie studios embrace streaming video.  The moment that happens there is no doubt they will start putting commercials on it the first chance they get.  Regional and national commercials will be a major part of there plans just like it is for the movie theaters now.  Companies like Screenvisions and Moviefax have made a killing off selling local advertising in movie theaters and I’d imagine they’re already trying to find a way to adapt their business model to streaming video.  Just like on the web sites now you could very well start seeing banner ads on your TV.  Some companies like G4 TV and the Home Shopping Channels have already experimented with this a little and it’s going to start coming up more frequently very soon.

Ultimately, it looks like Netflix has emerged as the Blockbuster for the net generation.  They’re solidly the number one place for streaming movies and old television shows and it’s only a matter of time before those other companies stop fighting them and start supporting them.  Remember that initially some people weren’t crazy about Blockbuster  either because they thought people would stop buying movies. Eventually though, it became apparent that  Blockbuster had a model that could be used to their advantage.  Once that happens, you can bet on plenty of big opportunities to get your brand to that audience.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/212637/when_comcast_bullies_netflix_the_internet_loses.html

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/12/02/netflix-is-ready-for-primetime-streaming/

http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-netflix-subscribers-2010-12

In 1996 Marvel Comics was closer to losing its shirt than Bruce Banner was right before turning into The Incredible Hulk.  They managed to limp through a bankruptcy and the entire comic book industry had a rebirth right after the new millennium do mainly to the rise of Borders and Barnes and Noble carrying graphic novels and some pretty big summer blockbusters.

However that bubble is bursting rapidly, sales of single issues are down steadily year to date from a 2005 industry high. Relatively speaking, piracy is hitting them as hard as it is in the music and movie industry.  Piracy figures have hit over a million downloads per issue while some of those very same issues struggle to reach 6 figure sales.  It looks like the industry has been stuck in a financial bubble for the last few decades that inflates over 5-6 years that may be doomed to burst. Leaving dozens of closed comic book stores and unemployed artists in its wake.  So the question is, in a world in the midst of a media revolution, what can they do to take advantage of things and stabilize their market?

The biggest drain on the comic industry at this moment is piracy, like I said pirated comics are beating sold editions at over 10 to one and that’s just the estimates they can count.  The good news is the bulk of that base is convertible to regular paying customers.  Right now they’re facing a crisis similar to what the record industry faced during the Napster days.  Record execs bemoaned Napster as the end of their industry.  But in the end, the bulk of the base using illegal file sharing is now on ITunes paying for music and the comic industry pirates have the same potential.  But the longer they stand by and let it happen the harder it will be to reach them.  The music industry acted quickly after suing their fans but that’s another issue. The major record labels put all their support behind one company and one monetizing force, ITunes.

The comic industry needs to do the same thing.  The 2 major companies, Marvel and DC, have launched there own IPad aps for digital comics with a few old issues and some day and date experiments.  Some aps like LongBox have gotten licenses from some smaller companies too but it really feels like they are still getting their feet wet.  What, the music industry knew and what Marvel and DC need to do is put all their support in one digital comics hub.

Ultimately consumers, even ones downloading illegally, take the path of least resistance.  If all the major record labels each had their own file sharing site or each movie studio offered there own streaming site instead of putting their support behind Netflix they’d be loosing a lot more money to piracy.  Right now you can download all your comics in the same place using illegal downloading but there isn’t a single place to get downloadable comics at a reasonable price point.  If the comic publishers offer everything in one convenient place it will go a long way in stopping piracy and converting those readers to paying customers and stabilizing there market.

The reasonable price point aspect is a key and is one of the reasons comics have such a fluxuating readership market.  I understand that the cost of production is growing and all but at 3.99 for 30 pages they’re pricing out kids and families.  For the price of 3 issues you can buy a DVD at Wal-Mart or a cheap video game.  There’s just no way they can stay competitive at that price point.

They’re in the same boat right now as the movie theaters, at a certain point as a niche market property you decide whether you’re going to try and bring in new blood or gouge your core audience.  The movie theaters have decided to do the latter and it’s costing them an entire generation of movie goers.  The major comic publishers are on the same slope because of there unrealistic price point and stories that play to an older and nostalgic audience instead of moving things forward.  They’re failing to take advantage of the large amount of people who are easily convertible to regular customers.

That’s the good news; they do have a huge base to convert to regular readers.  If you don’t think kids are reading more now then they ever have go take a look at borders and see which section is biggest. (Spoiler:  it’s young adult fiction) They have a large section of readers reading about the latest vampires wizards, zombies and everything else that’s just a stone’s through away from the stuff companies like Marvel, Dc and Top Cow are publishing.  They’ve got a huge amount of readers out there that are passing them by because there is product inaccessible to the average reader and playing to an aging and nostalgic audience who is going to buy there product regardless.  Ultimately, whichever way they get it it’s clear that new blood is key to stabilizing their fluxuating market.

Ultimately, what you can learn from this is that niche product market isn’t just about the audience you have but the potential customers that are out there.  Finding a way to convert new customers is key and it can come from some unexpected ways and being a smart consumer who keeps up on trends is the best way to stay afloat when trying to sell a niche product like comics.

thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/129741-the-qrealq-victims-of-online-piracy
comicsalliance.com/2010/11/17/state-of-comic-book-solicitations-nate-cosby/
comicsalliance.com/2010/10/07/marvel-and-dc-299-399/

If Apple learned a lesson from anyone it was McDonald’s. McDonald’s knew the value of filling a niche and building on that. If they’d come right out of the gate 60 years ago with coffee, ice cream, chicken, and hamburgers they’d be nowhere now. They understood the value of niche marketing and built up their audience by makings themselves the number 1 hamburger supplier in the country (and then…The World!)  Once they established that they branched out. Kentucky Fried Chicken established itself as the place to get a fried chicken dinner for the entire family long before they changed their name to KFC and tried to be your fast-food hook up.

When the IPod first showed up it was all about music, not podcasts, eBooks, or videos. They put everything into establishing that if you wanted the latest music and the latest music player you needed to have an IPod. They established that and then branched out to podcasts and such. They’re so integrated into the culture now that one of the first things I heard my 2 year old nephew ask for was his IPod. They didn’t become the biggest multimedia company in the country all at once.  hey did it by building a niche audience and expanding to different niche markets till they dominated them all and then they put it all together in the IPhone once they were ready.

When they released the IPad a lot of the critics were hard on it. They didn’t like the fact that it didn’t have a camera, couldn’t support Flash Sites and they referred to it as “A Big IPhone.”  What they didn’t know (and what Apple did) was that that’s exactly what their audience wanted. They were introducing new technology and if they included all the bells and whistles they could fit on it they couldn’t market it to the niche audience that wanted to just surf the net in the easiest and most portable way possible. If they had said all that and that it was a camera and a video game system and a portable DVD player and everything else they might keep the super tech savvy but they’d lose everyone else.

The bottom line is of course Apple could have loaded everything into the IPad at the word go they just knew it was better business in the long run not to because they’ve studied their own history. Two businesses that are in the process of expanding are Potbelly sandwich and Five Guys Burgers. It’s not a coincidence that both companies are using the same business model of offering a basic menu and promoting it that way. McDonalds and Apple have become the blueprints for most other companies who want to expand on a national level.  When I talk about being a smart consumer I mean looking at things like the history of a company and where it’s going in the next few years and noticing patterns like that.

iPods: Branding and identity defined

iPad owners more likely to sever TV ties, says survey

To put it bluntly, Blu Ray isn’t something I feel is going to stick around that long.  At best within three years digital download sales will have eclipsed Blu Ray and DVD sales.  If you really want those special features on Blade Runner then go ahead, otherwise you’re just wasting money. Just compare what’s left of Wal-Mart’s and Best Buy’s electronic section to what they were last year and you can tell which form of media they are betting on.  They’ve even announced that they are cutting back on the DVD and Blu Ray sales for the holiday season because they know that more and more people or going the all digital route.

Another nail in the Blu Ray coffin is the demise of Blockbuster and other rental outlets. When DVD took over as the major media format it had the full support of a nationwide network of rental stores not to mention stores like Tower Records and SunCoast Music.  Now that they don’t have those to support them the only ways most people get to Blu Ray is through the major retailers who are cutting back. Blu Ray really has nowhere to go except for RedBox.  ts other obstacles are the ever expanding cable options and pay per view that are gateways to streaming video are digital downloads.  If you’re already watching most of your movies through PPV you’re already going to be more inclined to Netflix streaming once that becomes available through your cable box.

There are just a few more steps before digital downloads really take off as the preferred multimedia tool. Right now they lack one particular frontrunner as far as online stores go.  Contrary to what The Social Network says, it wasn’t Napster that changed the way music was sold. It was ITunes. It’s insane to think that Apple and the music industry guys weren’t developing programs for digital downloads years before they debuted. They just had to jump the gun a little. The movie industry needs a place like ITunes to come around for digital downloads of movies to really take off as the preferred viewing method. (Yes ITunes has movies for download but they need a niche site.)

One thing I still don’t understand is why companies aren’t advertising digital download services.   It would be great for TV stations that are struggling against DVRs if you had a commercial saying that the entire last season of Chuck is available on Netflix streaming or that HULU has all this season’s episodes of Community.  If digital downloads are going to take over anytime soon they need to get their messages out there on the same level as Blu-Ray and DVD and that means someone in the major retailers is going to have to take the initiative to spend some advertising dollars.  If they don’t then something like Napster is going to rear its ugly head and they’re all going to lose a lot of money.

Ultimately Blu Ray is going to become more and more of a niche market for hardcore film geeks as it slowly disappears. If you are a retailer who caters to these types you’re probably good for a few years, although the price of special edition Blu Ray discs could go up. This effects other things as well, with digital downloads of new releases becoming the norm  the time between film releases and home editions is getting shorter and shorter to the point that you could very well see them come out on the same day.  After all if you are a family of 4 with 2 kids who want to go to the movies and want snacks and you could get the movie in your home for 50 dollars it’s probably a good idea to stay at home.  This could very well be a big threat to the movie theaters.  If digital downloads come to prominence at a decent rate the theaters could find themselves at an unsustainable price point.  That’s what I mean when is say a smart advertiser has to be a smart consumer.  You never know what is coming out that could effect your business.

http://formatwarcentral.com/
http://mashable.com/2010/11/02/media-format-flops/

Anyone who has read my other articles knows I am a big follower of Geekweek.com’s Jeff Katz. “I’ve done more networking through my X-Box than anything else recently,” Katz said.  He’s not the only one who has seen the value of using Video Game systems for networking purposes.  Of all the video game systems out there Microsoft is making the X-Box into a hub for you to keep in touch with your friends and co-workers. The ESPN deal that launches later this year allows you to share content and talk about the latest games and news through the game system. You’d be amazed at what holding a Madden 11 tournament for your clients and co-workers can do for business. X-Box makes it easy.

Playstation hasn’t exactly caught up the idea of networking through your video game system but they’re still miles ahead of the Wii.  Nintendo’s system was on the cutting edge of the new generation until internet streaming and telecommunications came to video games.  While Sony focused on Blu-Ray compatibility and flaunted their deals with YouTube and Netflix, Microsoft was building their machine into something that skips over that entire transitory media. If you don’t believe Blu-Ray is a transitory media go take a look at what’s left of Best Buy and Wal-Mart’s movie selections.

I’ve used my video game system to network on more than one occasion. I’ve talked business with people all over the country using a game of UFC Fighters. It’s odd when you first hear someone say, “Can you meet me in a game of halo.” But once you get in there and talk to people as you’re shooting away at aliens, it’s amazing at how much you get to know someone. I do advertising for a non-profit charity, and one recent project involved getting people to post their gamer tags (names they use when they do online gaming.) It’s a great way to get your followers connected and then hopefully they come to your message board to talk about the next game or post to others about when they can join.  It’s great for fan interaction on your website. I even know someone who sold a novel to someone they met in an online gaming session. LinkedIn has groups that regularly post gamers tags in an effort to get like-minded individuals together.

Pushing forward, it looks like video games are going to grow more and more as a networking tool. Playstation, Microsoft, and Nintendo are pushing the online gaming aspect. You can use it to get your Facebook followers together doing an activity or use it to interact and get to know your co-workers or others in your industry. After all, you never know who’s a gamer until you ask.

Kinect-Blitz-May-Aid-Windows-Phone-7
Does_Going_Transmedia_Help_Game_Properties
MS Pours $500 Million Into Kinect Marketing

Microsoft and Xbox have been towing the streaming video line since the release of the 360.  While Sony was bragging about their Playstation’s Blue Ray compatibility Microsoft was looking ahead to when people would stream everything from movies and TV shows to Sports.  There deal with ESPN where they get live streaming sporting events and news updates and let people chat while watching TV goes into effect later this year and will be a good test to see if people support live streaming as an alternative to cable.  Microsoft is definitely betting that this will balloon big in the coming years as they’ve already made deals with HULU, Netflix, and YouTube.  If history has shown anything it’s that Microsoft is a good company to bet on when it comes to new technology.

Another company that is banking on people choosing live streaming over cable is Google.  Google is taking the plunge in a big way.  Rumor has it they are working on creating the first TV built specifically for web streaming later this year.  They are offering more than just web applications for surfing certain parts of certain sites.  They want you to actively search the net and find entertainment content right on your TV.  The question is, are people ready?  Google thinks so and they’re banking on the fact that people want to make this change now.  They need to be careful or they might push to hard and find that people aren’t ready for the drastic change.  Is this a case of too much too soon?  Or are they making a giant leap forward that’s going to make them the new leader of television providers, leaving Comcast is the dust?

Even if Google’s new streaming service doesn’t catch on right away their are sure to be lasting repercussions for the television business.  HBO is one of the major television players that has lost a lot of its audience in the last year.  A system were they can be used as an app or be part of a pay per episode program would benefit them along with all the other struggling networks who are looking for a way to recapture viewers  and change their business model in the wake of DVRs and live streaming.

Over the summer I heard a lot from friends that got rid of their cable TV and just used the internet and Playstation Aps.  I decided to give it a try.  I used Hulu when I wanted to catch up on my scripted shows.  I used Netflix when I wanted to watch a movie and a web browser when I wanted news and sports.  It took a few days to really figure out how to navigate and like anything on the internet, sometimes things just don’t work.  (As I tell my parents when they complain about their internet connection, when you’re sending that much information through the air you’re bound to get some trouble)  Clearly there are some bugs to be worked out before this becomes a widespread trend.  The one thing I found myself missing the most was channel surfing.  I spend most of my TV watching time flipping through channels watching snippets of a few different shows.  There really is no way to recreate that via the internet and it makes it harder for new shows to be discovered.

What does this mean for your advertising dollars?  If it turns out like Microsoft, AOL, and Google think it will, then within 5 years everything will be connected to the internet and cable TV will be a thing of the past.  The good news from this is that all the advertisers worried about DVR and Tivo won’t have to worry much longer.  Internet streaming already has advertisements at the beginning, middle and end of shows as well as on the homepages so TV advertising isn’t nearly as much of a dying medium as once thought.

bleacherreport.com/articles/477514-espn-on-xbox-live-one-mans-adventure-into-the-future
www.cultofmac.com/appletv-vs-google-tv-an-in-depth-comparison/61858
www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/201010068141/time-warner-ceo-google-tv-an-ally.html
crosscut.com/2010/10/06/technology/20189/Rise-up,-couch-potatoes!-Apple,-Google,-and-others-launch-a-TV-war/
www.bnet.com/blog/business-decision/cutting-out-cable/360

In a nutshell a Flash Sale is when you post a coupon on Facebook, Twitter, or a mobile app that expires in days or hours (Sometimes even minutes if you want to see who is really paying attention.) They can be a great way to drum up business in non peak hours if you are a restaurant or slow days if you’re a retail store. All you do is post something like “Mention this ad for half priced appetizers by 4:00 PM,” or something like that. Some companies have even turned it into a game. If you do it right it can drum up business and get people hooked on your Facebook and twitter page.

Flash Sales aren’t just good when you have thousands of followers. It can also be a great way to build interest in your freshly launched page reward your loyal customers who were the first to follow you. What’s better to get people talking about you then giving them free stuff and discounts to brag to their friends about. Right off the bat you can make your page an essential resource for your brand. Even if you don’t have many fans it’s still a great thing to do. One of the more awkward parts of growing your social media presence is talking to a small group of people like they’re a much larger group. It might feel like you’re standing in an empty room with a bullhorn but sometimes it’s necessary. Some of the biggest online companies started with a dozen or two fans on Facebook.

The trend started on Facebook and Twitter but has really taken off with the smart phone. Companies like Dash Mob and Groupon are getting in on the act by providing customers with constant updates on Flash Sales on everything from theme parks to restaurants to retailers via a smart phone app. But really with Facebook and Twitter updates on those same phones you’re better off trying it yourself at first, especially if you already have the followers to support it. Using an App will not really encourage people to go to your site and it will make your Facebook and Twitter page seem less vital. You want people to think your Facebook and Twitter updates are a must see and that won’t happen if you use a Flash Sale App.

Ultimately every business has its lulls. Whether they’re seasonal, weekly, or daily, you can always find a place to pump up your foot traffic right? The thing about the Flash Sale is that it’s still rare enough that’s it’s a novelty. They haven’t swept up the social media scene just yet so if you try it now you won’t have to fight your competitors. It could give you a good leg up. It’s also something that is best built as a habit. Even if you aren’t going to need it till winter you should start doing it now so your followers start looking for them. The downside of Flash Sales is that it can take some time for your audience to catch on to the fact that you do them regularly. The best way to do that is to well is to start doing them regularly. Perhaps make a game out of it. Try dropping hints about when they should check back. It’s a great way to build interest in you and your brand.

www.justluxe.com/fine-living/trends/feature-987085.php
www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-rise-of-social-commerce-103843788.html
www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=155549&catid=186