When to kill a facebook page?

Hello everyone :) 

    Last week I talked about Life's Little Treasures use of Facebook and forums. This week I would like to focus on the 'Walk for Prems' fund-raising event held on the 6th of November 2011. 

I immediately identified as issue with the Facebook page for the 'Walk for Prems' event. When i searched for 'Walk for Prems' in the search bar, last years page was brought up before this years event. And to make things worse...participants are beginning to write on last years page thinking that it's the current one.


2010 - Facebook page

2011 - Facebook page 

It is quite hard for participants to distinguish especially when they are using the same logo as last year.


The marketing is now facing the dilemma of how to transfer participants from the previous page to the new page without losing any traffic? Should they close the page ASAP? or should they allow people to transfer? 


Any ideas everyone on how Life's Little Treasures can do this?


Thanks!!

To control or lose control?

Hello everyone! 
    
     I have decided to take Wags advice and continue my blog about NFP's use of social media as I find it quite interesting hehe 


During the past week, I have realised the charity that I'm working for Life's Little Treasures Foundation is very reluctant about using Facebook to help answer any medical questions parents of premature may have. Members of the charity have voiced out that they would like to be able to post a question on Facebook and have it answered...but Life's Little Treasures are concerned that it will be hard to control the quality of answers provided. Right now they only use it to communicate events to followers.

To get an answer to their question members and followers are either encouraged to email/call the NFP or redirected to L'il Aussie Prems an online support forum. Life's Little Treasures believe this to be more 'accurate' as these forums are administered and controlled by 'administrators' who are members of the online forum. 

Do you agree information on online forums are more accurate than posts on Facebook?


I would really like to know what everyone else thinks! Please leave me a comment to help me improve Life's Little Treasure's use of social media :) 


Thanks everyone! 






Thanks everyone! 

Social Marketing VS Social Media Marketing

Hello everyone!
I finally have time to sit down and write my blog! I've had a long week...especially with block mode classes for the 'Marketing and Society' class :) 9am to 5pm Friday and Saturday...with minimal breaks and NO lunch break...we had to have lunch in class two days in a row! Anyhow I should stop complaining about my classes and get one with this blog :)


Because I have immersed myself into the world of 'Social Marketing' I thought it would be good to focus my blog on this topic today!


For those who are a bit confused about the title of my blog and don't know the difference...


Social Marketing - Refers to marketing strategies and activities Not For Profit organizations use.


While Social Media Marketing - Is what we're doing in this unit...learning about marketing using social media tool :) I'm not going to go into detail of this definition as our class has already done a great job in defining it in our collaborative writing :)

Anyhow, I came across this article written by Probono Australia "The Australian NFP Facebook Factor" I thought it was very interesting that over 70% of Not-For-Profits yet only 21% of these organisations have a Social Media Strategy. Which relates back to Ross' blog about Coca Cola's strategy :)  

It seems like both profit-seeking and not-for-profit organisations are jumping on the ban wagon of using social media to communicate with cutomers/donors yet without having a clear vision? I volunteer for a local charity and I know that they have simply started a Facebook page because they 'needed' to...not because they 'wanted to'.

Do you guys think there's a difference between Not-For-Profit's social media strategy and Money-hungry companies?



Inappropriate use of Facebook

Hello everyone! 


I've been so busy that I haven't had the time to update my blog :( sorry! I've been quite sick as well sighh...


But here it is my next blog post: Appropriate Use of Facebook 


I found an issue of Business Review Weekly at home the other day and an interesting article. 

The article describes the companies which have emerged and developed during the Global Financial Crisis which they call "Fast Starters". It then states that 'A common theme among this year's Fast Starters is their increasing use of social media to expand and forge better relationships with their customers. Almost eight out of ten use social networking sites such as Youtube, Facebook and Twitter to promote their businesses and engage with customers'.


I'm know other students have talked about this topic in their blogs as well... such as Amity's blog about Facebook advertising but after reading this article it got me thinking...social media is definitely a very important tool used by many businesses these days, but do companies actually know how to use Facebook appropriately? 


I liked Mrs. Fields Australia Facebook page and hence, I get updates every time the account is updated. But I don't understand why they would post some of the things have...for instance a few months ago all around Australia there was a new trend of 'Planking' where people lie flat on their stomach in unusual and often dangerous places. One man has already died while planking on his balcony.

However, instead of discouraging this behaviour Mrs. Fields Australia posted and supported a Facebook community which supports that 'planking' originated from Snoopy! 

I want to know how is Snoopy planking relevant to Mrs. Fields cookies?!? And how is this a good use of social media to forge a relationship and engage with customers?


Can you guys think of any other examples where you've come across inappropriate use of Facebook by businesses? 




Thanks everyone! Looking forward to reading your comments!