How To Use Facebook Top Fans For Marketing
Have you seen that little Top Fan badge on Facebook? This can seem like a pointless rosette, but actually packs a good punch of useful targeting features.
A chance to identify your biggest promoters? Yes please!
Have you ever been a local celebrity?
It's not quite the same as walking down the red carpet at Cannes, or riots nearly breaking out when you try to nip to the shops but it's nice to be recognised.
Even if it is just by the bloke behind the bar.
That's what Facebook has rolled out with a new feature that means members can get a 'Top Fan' badge next to their name on your page. This badge recognises the time and dedication they have put into interacting with your content.
This means they will have the internet bragging rights of someone who really identifies with what you are all about.
So it's like that poser kid with the Linkin Park hoodie
No, see that's the clever bit. Facebook has not released the exact criteria needed for users to be knighted a 'Top Fan'.
This brings in a whole new aspect of gamification where people will have to organically interact with your page in the hopes of getting the badge.
We do know that it takes into account watching videos, as well as the universal internet mantra of likes, comments and shares.
If they are one of the most active people on your page, they will receive the badge.
Facebook have worked out another way to play with FOMO and increase engagement on the site. This is not a new idea on the internet at all, everywhere message boards show which users are most active by giving the titles and accolades.
TripAdvisor has been rewarding frequent reviewers with a tiered system of rewards to encourage interaction. While the points don't really mean anything in the grand scheme of things, they give the user some feedback so you are not just posting into a vacuum.
How can I get top fans on my page?
To enable this feature just go to the settings for your page, and you'll find the option on the left under Facebook badges.
First things first, make sure you are eligible for the feature. Facebook have released the guidelines for pages.
You have to use the video template for your page. In case you didn't already know video is everything these days. Video posts are 12 times as likely to be shared than both picture and text posts combined. Facebook have been moving towards a more video centric social network in the last few years, with heaps of new video features already released. So get on the video bandwagon or be left behind.
You also need to have over 10,000 followers and have a page older than 28 days. These things are slightly harder to attain if you are just starting out. The 28 days thing, well you just have to wait it out. But if you are struggling to get the minimum required followers you can always reach out to us for some solid social media marketing advice. We can help you get up and running.
Lastly, you can manage the badges and turn the feature on and off in the settings page, if it's not the right fit for your audience. You can also remove an individual's badge if they are Not the fan you are looking for.
Here is the settings page for the Top Fan feature. You can see your fans and edit their badges.
How can you use this to promote your business?
The usefulness of this feature really depends on your type of business or your engagement with your customer base.
Are you an online retailer? Why not use your Top Fan position send out freebies. Everyone loves a gift, and a super engaged fan would surely post all over their social media about how their favourite brand sent them merch.
Are you an event location or a company that provides an experience rather than a product? Give your Top fans an all access tour. A chance to see the inner workings of the brand they love will make them a customer for life, as well as the chance to post about all the cool behind the scenes secrets they found out.
Even if you don't fit either of these categories make sure to add an incentive to your Top Fan position. If people are going to all the trouble of plastering their own timelines with your content make it worth their while.
Often the answer of how to best reward your newly identified fans will show itself. These are the people who are most engaged with your content so give them something to engage with! Run a competition, a challenge or a quiz.
The most effective marketing content often doesn't come from the brand at all but instead from the users themselves. Having a strategy for user generated content to feature as part of the brands own posts give much more credibility to the message you are trying to get across.
This is something Airbnb does really well, reposting pictures of people who use their site is an easy way to boost credibility and encourage interaction.
So where do I get my badge?
What you want to take away from this post is simple, whatever your business size or type.
Step 1: Create (or reconfigure) your brands Facebook page with a video template to maximise the reach for your content.
Step 2: Use some super engaging content to grow your page and actively cultivate a space where your customers feel like they are talking directly to you, not just a hollow social media page.
Step 3: Incentivise your users to become top fans and give them a reason to stick around through recognition.
Step 4: PROFIT
Thanks for reading and if you want more tips on how to improve your social media strategy get in touch with us below.
