April 2011
24 posts
Find us on Facebook: An article
The lovely people at online magazine Imperica asked me to write a short piece on my experience conducing this project. It’s not a bad read, but it is rather dominated by a giant photo of my face, for which I can only apologise.
http://www.imperica.com/viewsreviews/finding-facebook/
The Results, The Thoughts, The Feelings, The...
What I learned
Being a social consumer is tiring; 6 or more brands a day requested a Like.
Your newsfeed quickly becomes impossibly ‘noisy’ once you start Liking brands.
Too many brands are driving people to Facebook without giving a reason.
Telling me to “search” or “find” you on Facebook is no use if you aren’t the top result.
Social media links are slowly becoming the default sign-off to...
Like 46 - Becks Vier
Whilst perusing Facebook an advert informed me that a few of my friends already liked Becks Art Crawl, and told me I could receive regular updates if I liked it too. So I did.
The page allowed me to dive further into the brand and its association with art, complete with a timeline of previous label designs, and talk of upcoming ones from cool artists.
For true lovers of the brand comes a...
Like 45 - The Hilton
Having stayed in the Hilton over a year ago I am obliged to receive emails from them. Had I not been wearing my glasses, though, I would’ve missed the teeny-tiny social media icons at the top of their latest piece of communication. I wasn’t sure why I should Like them, but I did so anyway.
The Facebook page - like the email - focussed on their loyalty scheme ‘HHonors’ of...
Like 44 - Ocado
As a customer of online grocery store Ocado I receive regular emails from them. This week, I was given the opportunity to win £100 just for Liking their page, in celebration of the fact that they’ve reached 5,000 fans (they’re now fast approaching 8,000).
Other than the chance to win £100 I wasn’t sure what I stood to gain by Liking them, but the chance to win was a good...
Like 43 - Budweiser
Budweiser ensnared me through a poster for Bud 66 - the lightly carbonated version. You may or may not recall a TV advert where men’s evenings are ruined by bubbles getting in their way. Sadly I didn’t get a shot of the poster, but someone on the internet did - it looks like this:
A fairly standard booze advert - big product shot with beads of condensation to make you thirsty, a big...
Like 42 - Top 365 Students
This weekend I was visiting my girlfriend’s family in Nottingham. Whilst idly watching the streets go by from the back seat of the family car I spied the faithful Facebook logo and Like thumbs-up icons that my eyes have become trained to see over this last week. It was on the front of an estate agents that deals with students.
The little speech-bubble area in the top left-hand corner of...
Like 41 - Venus
A Gillette Venus advert featuring Jennifer Lopez caught my eye. Actually, Jennifer Lopez caught my eye - the advert was fairly irrelevant to me at this point. However, at the end of the advert, I was drawn not to JLo, but to a Facebook logo and the promise of Jennifer Lopez exclusives.
Naturally I jumped at the chance to Like this, and it was a nice surprise to see a brand actually offering me...
Like 40 - Feliway
A television advert for Feliway prompted this latest Like. Feliway is essentially a cross between a Glade Plug-in and Febreeze that calms cats down. Something to do with hormones. The ads feature a nervy purple cat who goes around weeing on things and causing havoc, ultimately to be sorted out by Feliway. The cat never speaks, nor does it appear to have much personality, so I was surprised to be...
Like 39 - Belgravia hairloss
Sadly I don’t have a photo, but I can tell you that as I sat on the tube this morning my eyes were drawn to an advert about hairloss. This may or may not have something to do with the fact that my forehead is slowly but surely becoming a fivehead.
Belgravia’s ad signed off by saying “Visit our world wide online service” along with the link to their Facebook page,...
Like 38 - PayPal
PayPal emailed me this morning and included a link simply saying “PayPal on Facebook”.
I clicked through to see if magic laid behind it, but sadly it didn’t. They post the occasional articles with exciting titles like, “Are cheques worth fighting for?” (answer, no - they’re also not worth writing articles about).
PayPal also post a lot of deals and offers,...
Like 37 - Thedrinkshop.com
Having bought booze from them previously, I still receive the occasional email from thedrinkshop.com. This morning I noticed that their email contained a Facebook icon, which I assumed I was meant to click, despite not knowing what I stood to gain from it.
The Facebook page itself is fairly standard. Nothing to get excited about. They occasionally post new products that are available, which...
Like 36 - Diageo & Coca-Cola
I discovered my 36th Like through a Facebook friend sharing it to their wall.
At first glance it appears to be a page devoted simply to having your name added to a giant wedding card for the Kate and Wills as their big day rapidly approaches. Liking the page ensures that your name will get written in the card, which is fairly exciting if you want to tell your grandkids that you sent the King a...
Like 35 - Play.com
Back to the less glamorous world of email marketing now - an email from Play.com, telling me about their 1st of April offers, featured a request saying “follow us on” with a Twitter and Facebook icon.
The page itself seems like a good balance between product news, competitions, deals, and other goings on that may be of interest to fans, with plenty of opportunities to click straight...
Like 34 - Foster's
Having enjoyed the “Good Call” campaign for Foster’s, in which Brad and Dan from Australia answer uptight Brits’ questions about life, the universe and everything, I spotted the Facebook link at the end of the ad and decided to follow it.
No call to action, which is a shame really, because when you get there - if you’ve enjoyed the ad, or are a fan of the brand -...
Like 33 - Ford Focus
It may be there endline, but I did feel as though Ford were inviting me to Feel The Difference on their Facebook page when they signed off their TV ad thusly:
The Facebook page smoothly transitioned me from the TV ad into social media by continuing the same theme of “Start more than just a car” - clicking through allowed me to enter a competition to be at the “Start...
Like 32 - 10 O'Clock Live
10 O’Clock Live is the great weekly entertainment show on Channel 4, which takes a satirical look at the week’s news, filled with skits, sketches and angry rants. They’ve done a very good job of keeping the show alive during the week when the programme isn’t on by engaging viewers through Twitter and Facebook with plenty of amusing comments, content and discussions.
...
Like 31 - The Co-Operative Food
They claim to be good with food, but are they good with social media? Let’s find out.
Co-Op didn’t overtly invite me to follow them, find them, like them or any of that jazz, but they did sign off their TV advert with both Facebook and Twitter links and icons.
Now, I love the new Co-Operative Food campaign. I think it’s smart, emotional and insightful - with really clear...
Like 30 - Betty Blue Eyes
Another musical spotted on a tube escalator poster. This time a musical about a pig, which I can only assume has blue eyes and is called Betty. Again, no photo due to escalator etiquette.
The poster had no call to action that I could see, only icons for social networks. So, I had to search to find Betty and her lovely blue eyes. The musical wasn’t the top result, however - as Betty Boop...
Like 29 - We Will Rock You
Whilst ascending the escalator at Angel station, I spied a posted for Queen musical We Will Rock You. Unfortunately I was unable to get a photograph due to being on a moving escalator, but you can take my word for it that the poster read:
”Join us” along with Facebook and Twitter logos. So I did join them
The page is actually well thought out, with good weighting given to people...
Like 28 - i
Whilst flicking through The London Evening Standard - an okayish free newspaper - I saw an ad for the new condensed broadsheet called simlpy ‘i’. This ad in particular was promoting the app version of their paper, but it also provided me with a link to Facebook.
Interestingly they’ve provided the link to their Facebook page - Facebook.com/i - rather than saying “find...
Like 27 - The Evening Standard
Whilst flipping through the newspaper in the dentist’s waiting room, The Evening Standard (a London freesheet) called upon me to Like them on Facebook..
They didn’t tell me why, so I have to assume that I can in some way interact with the news, join in debate and discussion maybe. Who knows?
The page itself doesn’t reveal much more. It appears to post news articles and photos...
Like 26 - Virgin Money
Whilst travelling on the tube to a dentist appointment, my mind wandered to distract me from the impending drilling. My eyes, too, wandered and landed upon an tube carriage advert for Virgin Money. Apologies for the crap picture, but the man opposite me thought I was a terrorist for taking a photo, so I didn’t attempt a second.
Interestingly, the call to action put the Facebook page...
Day 3 Update - 13 new acquisitions.
Being a social consumer is exhausting. Between leaving work yesterday and getting in to work this morning I’ve acquired THIRTEEN new Likes, which I will be uploading in dribs and drabs today.
3 came from TV
2 came from Tube carriages
2 came from posters on the escalators at tube stations
2 came from a newspaper
1 came from Facebook
3 came from emails
March 2011
25 posts
Like 25 - Spotify
Streaming music service Spotify emailed me today to tell me about “Onkyo, Staff Picks playlist, Nissan Juke and more, but couldn’t resist telling me to “Like Spotify on Facebook” at the bottom of their email.
The page itself feels like more of a peek behind the scenes at Spotify - which is actually somewhat interesting - rather than offering much to me as a consumer....
Like 24 - Burberry
I came to the Burberry page through a Facebook ad, which informed me that a couple of my friends were fans. Always a good way to find out about a page, especially if it’s someone you aspire to be like.
The page itself - much like Next - has paid no attention to my gender, and given me an extremely feminine experience, despite the fact that a great deal of men like the brand and its...
Like 23 - Next
My next Like is clothes retailer Next. Another that I’ve come to via email. It’s one that I’ve been meaning to ubsubscribe to for a very long time, but have never quite got round to it.
At the bottom of their email was a fairly basic social section demanding “Like us”, “Follow us”, “Watch us” - which I think is a good motto for people who...
Like 22 - Shit my dad says
An ad in Shortlist magazine for the book spawned from infamous twitter feed @shitmydaysays. Justin Halpern has been posting the utterances of his angry old dad for some time now and has been reaping the rewards ever since, including a TV series starring William Shatner as his dad.
This ad, which assures me I’m going to snort beer out of my nose and roar with laughter invites me to...
Like 21 - Shortlist Magazine
On my way to work this morning I picked up free men’s magazine Shortlist to read on the tube. Lo and behold, on page 3 (the first page that isn’t a front cover or an ad) there was a small invitation from the magazine itself to get involved.
One of Shortlist’s key features is its top 10 lists, and as a regular reader I’ve been invited to join in and contribute....
Like 20 - EBuyer
Technology e-retailer Ebuyer becomes my 20th Like, after signing off the bottom of their email with this: “You can now follow Ebuyer on…” - as a call to action it feels very polite, but also strangely like they’re giving me permission to do so, or hinting to the fact that for a long time you couldn’t follow them, but now you can.
The page itself starts with a...
Like 19 - Tastecard
I knew I wasn’t quite done for the night. An email from Tastecard promised a Facebook exclusive, with a Grand Designs promotion only available to Facebook fans. A smart way to get people to subscribe. Unfortunately none of the links in the email (except the tiny FB icon at the bottom) lead to the Facebook page. A slight oversight.
The page itself doesn’t focus on the Grand Designs...
Like 18 - Nescafé Dolce Gusto
Yes, THAT Nescafé Dolce Gusto - the one who recently made UK TV history by being the first ever paid product placement.
I own one of these machines, and like many I use their loyalty programme. Inside every box of coffee pods is a code to collect points. And points, eventually, add up to buying more coffee or coffee accessories. It’s actually a fairly rewarding scheme if you put in the...
Like 17 - Lynx
More late night telly driving me to Facebook - luckily this is the 2 (or even 3) screen generation, and I could do so without having to move from the groove in my sofa. Not really a call to action or an invitation, but it’s interesting to see a brand moving towards signing its ads off with a Facebook URL instead of a branded one - accepting the increasingly common point of view that the days...
Like 16 - B&Q
B&Q’s new advert is pretty long and rather reminiscent of an episode of You’ve Been Framed. It does, however, sign off by telling you “don’t do it yourself” followed by “let’s do it together” with social media icons below their URL. Let’s do it together? I’m in!
I followed this invitation through to the Facebook page and found a...
Like 15 - Tesco
Another email, another brand I must like. This time it’s retailer Tesco.
Nestled at the bottom of a rather long email about Mother’s Day, special offers, recipe ideas and Clubcard deals I found the trusty little Facebook logo and this blog’s name. No benefit. No RTB. No content. Just “find us on Facebook”.
The Facebook landing page is smarter than that, though....
Like 14 - HQhair
Another request to join an online community via email. This time at the bottom of an HQhair email, which I honestly only opened to find the unsubscribe link. Many moons ago I ordered a present for my girlfriend from their website, and every since I have received email updates.
Unfortunately, it’s far easier to click “archive” in Gmail than it is to scroll to the bottom, look...
Like 13 - regtransfer.co.uk
Sadly I don’t have a car, and even if I did I wouldn’t buy a personalised number plate. However, this week I am the social consumer who says yes! That’s how I’ve found myself becoming a fan of Regtransfers.co.uk - the personalised plates company.
I stumbled across their ad as I idly flicked through a copy of the Metro that I found on the train to work, and there it was...
Like 12 - Sony Bloggie
One more before bedtime, as I idly check my Facebook for the last time of the day I spot an ad that invites me to “Watch stunning HD films”. I’m dubious, but intrigued by what on earth a “Bloggie” could be (a bad name for a camera, apparently) and the chance to win £5k further seals the deal. The ad reliably informs me that a couple of my friends happen to like this...
Like 11 - M&S
A bit of late night shopping for a Mothers’ Day present - a rosebush from M&S - simple and effective. Down at the bottom of the homepage - so as not to distract me too much from shopping - is a section called “Latest news” - and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to hear the latest news from Marks and Sparks?
Again, no real reason given to bother navigating away...
Like 10 - Livescribe
If you haven’t heard of Livescribe pens already then you’re missing out. They’re incredible. The pen records not only all your handwritten notes to .pdf format, but also the audio from the room at the time. You can even draw a playable piano in your notebook.
I’m lucky enough to own one of these remarkable gizmos, and as such was already signed up to the email newsletter....
Like 9 - O2
The onslaught continues. I check my emails to find one from O2 promoting Priority tickets to see comedian Michael McIntyre. Rather politely, the email merely asks me to “visit The O2 facebook page” - so I do just that. I visit it.
When I arrive at the page I’m greeted by a page of upcoming events, all of which are happening so soon that I lose interest, knowing I’ll...
Like 8 - Panda Express
Whilst surfing the web I read about a company called Panda Express - their website was linked so I clicked through to see if it could shed light on the topic I was interested in.
A giant panda, with an equally giant call to action, invited me to “connect” with them on Facebook. I wasn’t sure why I should, or what was in it for me, but I did so anyway because Pandas are the...
Like 7 - Mashable
Whilst browsing Mashable - a great source of social media news - I spied something that looked familiar in the corner of my eye. It was an ex-colleague of mine, and next to her a few other people I loosely refer to as my Facebook Friends.
I’m already reading it on the website, my friends are already liking it, I felt like I ought to follow suit. There’s something to be said for...
Like 6 - Aussie haircare
Passing my tube journey to work I stared idly at the advert in front of me, reading its long-copy despite its irrelevance to me as a man with terrible hair. And what did I spy in the bottom corner, none other than the classic “find us on Facebook” call to action with a little Facebook logo, in case I didn’t know what they were talking about.
Sadly, again, I was on the tube at...
Like 5 - CBS Londoner
After avoiding brands on my walk to Kings Cross St. Pancras underground station, I arrived on the platform. Opposite was this poster for CBS London, asking me to “Tell us why you Love London and see your quote on a Tube Poster. For more details visit…”
Unfortunately, as I was underground at the time, I was unable to immediately act upon their request or satiate my desire for...
Like 4 - Gigsandtours.com
Concert ticketing website gigsandtours.com - whose emails I subscribe to - told me in true Find Us On Facebook style to do just that:
They’d at least put these social buttons at the very top of the email so I was guaranteed to see them even if I didn’t scroll all the way to the bottom (which lucky for Firefox I did, otherwise I’d have missed it).
Again, there’s no...
Like 3 - Words with Friends
Part of my morning routine is to check my Words With Friends game - the extremely popular Scrabble clone has got me hooked and socially gaming with friends and strangers too. The banner across the top caught my eye this morning, so I obliged.
No real benefit to the liking is obvious, but it was easy enough to execute. The photo reel seems to comprise of people’s greatest achievements in...
Like 2 - Groupon
Who knew being a social consumer was so tiring, yet so rewarding? I receive 2 Groupon emails a day, and here this one is promising me £6 just for inviting people! This means I could stand to make a whopping £84 in cold hard cash in just one week. Or at least that’s what it looks like - it does say ‘receive £6’ not ‘receive £6 credit” after all.
Oh, but what’s...
Like 1 - Firebox.com
My first “find us on Facebook” of the day comes from a Firebox.com email, with social media buttons appearing 3/4 of the way down the email.
“Become a fan” is my only call to action - I’m not given a reason why I should bother, but luckily for them, I’m blindly abiding this week. I’d normally require a little more coercion.
The page itself is well...
