Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Oops! Did I really say that on Facebook?


“Whoever invented peanut butter… bless his heart.”

The Facebook post was just a random thought posted by a RWA staffer who keeps an extra large jar of Super Chunky in her bottom desk drawer. Mixed in with helpful advertising tips, news of new campaigns and clients, and step-by-step instructionals on successful marketing tactics, a peanut butter post looked starkly out of place, but fans of RWA disagreed.

“Eat it by the spoonful and love it.”

“Right next to the chocolate in desk drawer. Yum!”

“Who says it was a ‘him’?”

The posts kept coming, more comments than any other Facebook post. Apparently peanut butter is much more engaging than Tips on Writing a Strong Headline. Who knew?

Getting engagement with customers through Facebook and other social media channels is a bit like a science experiment. Mix a little of this with a little of that and you’ll either blow up the lab or discover the cure for cancer. Unlike science, though, there is no scientific process for getting results out of your social media. You have to try a whole lot of things to discover what works.

In 2011, Slim Jim committed to Facebook as an integral piece of their marketing. The brand is now up to Facebook 1 million fans collected though what Social Media Manager Dan Skinner describes as “a willingness to make mistakes and evolve.” Not everything has been a resounding success, but Slim Jim now counts on its legions of fans for valuable feedback on new products and brand changes.

So don’t be afraid to get out there and socialize. Throw enough peanut butter against your Facebook wall and something is bound to stick.