In response to my column last week about Facebook, I received an email from Tanya Cottrell, a student at San Diego State University, and her experience struck me as a great example of a ‘small business’ approach to Facebook. With her permission, I’ve excerpted some of her thoughts below. I welcome your stories on how you’re using the network.
Tanya writes:
I am a student at
San Diego
State
University
and I have used Facebook to promote to my fellow classmates new programs and activities for Campus Recreation. It is very inexpensive and easy to use. I think it cost me $20 to target 20,000 students or something.
Sincerely,
Tanya CottrellPS. I think Yahoo should allow niche marketing for their yahoo groups because I know some could be targeted by different industries too. Ex. I am on the Yahoo CIU Italy group which is designed for students who will be studying abroad at the University in Italy and any traveling industry business should promote on this group page because they have a captured audience.
She then added in a subsequent email:
Something else I would like to mention I know I previous commented on Yahoo but on Facebook it is incredibly easy to create groups and invite friends to join too. For example, as soon as the fires started raging here in
San Diego
a friend of mine created a group on Facebook where we informed each other of what was happening instead of the news, since the news was spread pretty thin. It was very convenient for people who lived in
San Diego
or friends who lived outside of
San Diego
and were worried about the situation.
Also, I am studying global marketing abroad in Italy next semester and usually you don’t meet other people going on the trip until you get there but someone opened a Facebook group for our 2008 semester specifically. With our group are able to exchange advice, meet people who are going on the trip before we even go, and a bonus is we are able to coordinate flights and meetings to travel together into
Italy
. As a person learning in marketing, it is these “niche” groups that I would seek out and advertise on. If not advertise have a company account and post comments on the pages. Ex. A tour company can leave a wall post for students with a deal on weekend tours in
Europe
. Everyday there are at least one new person added to the group and a couple wall posts.
Honestly, I haven’t really noticed any of the new Facebook ads unless they have something to do with something already in my mind set. Ex. I am planning my trip for Europe so if I see an ad that says “
Europe
” it catches my eye.
Do you actually have an account? You should join. You would be amazed at how many adults are currently on it and as my generation grows older I don’t see Facebook becoming any smaller. We are the social chat room generation – we will always be online.
Sincerely,
Tanya CottrellSan Diego State University 2008 Graduate and Marketing Executive at VivanTech
This is a great snapshot of a multitude of ways marketers and members both can use Facebook.
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