MarketingCharts: Asking the Right Questions Can Increase SocNet Buzz
Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from MarketingCharts, a Watershed Publishing publication providing up-to-to-minute data and research to marketers.
Recent research has not been kind when it comes to examining the relationship between Facebook fans and engagement: April 2012 survey results from a group of professors show that almost seven in 10 millennials who "like" a brand on Facebook rarely or ever return to the page, while a February 2012 report revealed that just one percent of Facebook users who like big brands such as Procter & Gamble or Coca-Cola actually engage with those brands.
Marketers looking to boost engagement might want to think about asking the right questions, says WaveMetrix in an April 2012 report. The software company concludes that asking about personal preferences, appealing to fans' expertise, and making it aspirational can create a profoundly positive impact on brand discussion. The report focuses on the efforts of three brands: PG Tips, Heinz, and John Frieda. A brief summary of each effort follows:
- Heinz asked consumers on its Facebook page to indicate what their Heinz Ketchup label would say if it were up to them to create it. Driven by the invitation to be creative, consumers submitted more than 370 responses, a dramatic increase from the average response count for the previous 20 Heinz Ketchup Facebook posts, which was less than 100.
- Tea company PG Tips found success with a campaign asking fans about how tea fits into their daily routine. This simple strategy of finding out about fans' lifestyles not only sustained engagement, but also prompted them to share information about how they drink their tea, when they most enjoy it and what they eat while drinking it. In fact, comments related to usage scenarios around drinking tea accounted for 83 percent of the Facebook fan discussions, eclipsing the 12 percent of comments about general products.
- In March, hair stylist John Frieda started asking fans direct questions, such as their favorite hairstyle and whose celebrity hair they would want. The WaveMetrix analysis found that the questions that focused on what John Frieda fans wanted, rather than what they have, were more successful in driving engagement. The brand averaged 134 comments per post in March for desire-focused questions, compared to just 47 for other questions. Moreover, the brand's desire-focused questions strengthened the brand's "glamorous" image, with 37 percent of discussion revolving around glamorous hair, as opposed to 23 percent about expertise and 11 percent about innovation.