1-800-Flowers.com received a lot of praise recently for being the first e-commerce retailer to set up shop on Facebook.com. Using a few very simple techniques, you too can follow 1-800-Flowers.com’s lead.
When you first visit 1-800-Flowers’ Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/1800flowers) you’re immediately shown a coupon code while being asked if you’d like to become a fan. What works about this technique is that you’re not too overwhelmed by all of the “flair’ on the main wall or Fan page. You can chose not to become a fan and instead skip to the Wall.
The Wall. Using simple social media strategies, the folks at 1-800-Flowers have engaged their customers by responding to their posts and making their “Fans” feel appreciated. It’s a win-win situation for the e-retailer when you have Fans paying you a compliment and in turn show them your appreciation. Aside from a few simple notations about their URL and Twitter address, most of the work on page is done by the fans.
The Info Page. The Info page for 1-800-Flowers.com is careful not to be too boastful with their product which is a welcome sight to most consumers. A little information can go a long way and 1-800-Flowers does a good job telling you who they are (in case you didn’t know already), what their mission and products are as well as other social media outlets you can find them.
The Storefront.
What has put 1-800-Flowers.com on the map for their Facebook experiment is the storefront they’ve “opened” on Facebook. Using the coupon code you obtained when you first came to the site, you can shop 1-800-Flowers.com’s inventory without ever having to leave the site. Should you enjoy your shopping experience, you can head back over to the Wall/Fan Page and post a short update about your positive experience.
Without spending a lot of money, 1-800-Flowers has created a lot of buzz for their site and their Facebook store. While operating a store on Facebook may be a little more complex, setting up a Facebook Fan Page — using 1-800-Flowers.com as an example — shouldn’t take you more than 10-20 minutes (depending on how adept a Facebook user you are).
Have you set up a Facebook Fan Page for your site? Leave us your URL and we’ll take a look at it and perhaps contact you for a Facebook Fan Page close up!