Monday, January 28, 2013

Lexus makes Facebook work

Last year I expressed my skepticism of promoted posts on Facebook in this blog post.

As happens on rare (okay, maybe not so rare) occasions, I've been proven to be less than prescient. At least in this one case.

Lexus used promoted posts other Facebook video and other ad platforms to promote the launch of its 2014 IS sport sedan in advance of the North American International Auto Show. The ads invited viewers to a live unveiling of the new car, giving Lexus fans a detailed introduction to the IS as the automotive press was seeing it. 100,000 people took the time to watch the event as it happened and 600,000 people have watched the video since.



Why did this work so well when other promotions fall flat?

Lexus gave their fans something more valuable than money: entrance to an event usually reserved for automotive journalists.

People who love cars, love to be the first to know about new cars. They want the details, the specs, the story so they can use that knowledge to prove to their friends how much of a 'car guy' they really are. By inviting its fans to this event, Lexus gave them something much more valuable than money.

And that's really the key to creating great social marketing programs. Give your fans and followers something that's not available to the general public that they can't get anywhere else. Maybe it's a link to an event like this. Maybe it's a pre-sale that allows them to be the first on their block to own your product. Maybe it's a special discount. Maybe it's something else all together.

Your fans have indicated that your brand is special to them. Treat them like they're special if you really want to make your social media work for your brand.

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