Facebook Marketing: A Marketer and Member Speakers

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 Cottrell

PS. 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 Cottrell
San 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.