Originally posted at the Likeable Media Blog.
Months after its initial announcement, Facebook has finally made Offers available to most brand Pages! Social media marketers all over have been chomping at the bit to get their hands on this exciting new feature. How exactly does it work? It can seem a bit complicated at first glance. What goes into setting it up? What does it cost? Let’s take a step-by-step look and see for ourselves!
Facebook Offers allow businesses to provide their fans with deals and discounts, right on their official brand Facebook Pages, provided they have at least 400 Likes. With a single click, a consumer can claim an offer and instantly receive an email with a link to your product along with a unique redemption code or a bar code.
Implementing offers on your brand’s page is actually relatively simple, but it isgoing to cost you. We’ll get back to that in a moment. Here’s how to get started:
- Start by going to your Page. Be sure that you’re an admin!
- Above the Status box, click “Offer, Event +”
- Now, you’re asked whether your offer is In Store, Online, or both.
- If you choose Online Only or In Store & Online, you’re asked to provide the web address where the offer can be redeemed, as well as the redemption code.
- If you choose In Store Only, don’t worry about this step
- Next, we’ll take care of the Basics. Create a strong headline and a compelling thumbnail. Then add the maximum number of times the offer can be claimed and expiration date (if applicable), insert your Terms & Conditions (got to have some good legal jargon on your side!) and optionally, throw in a bar code.
- Preview it and make sure everything looks ship shape before you proceed!
- If you need to make edits, the handy “Back” button will be your ally.
- Click “Publish” and send your offer out into the wild!
I mentioned earlier that there are costs involved with Offers. For your first Offer, Facebook will give you a freebie. Check it out, take it out for a spin, and kick the tires! If you want to keep at it, subsequent Offers will cost you a minimum of $5-$10 to start. Experts seem to agree that Facebook is planning to combine Offers and Promoted Posts. By posting an Offer and then Promoting that post for several days, your page receives a one-two punch that will ensure that your discount gets exposed to more of your fans for a greater length of time. The number one tip here (as with any other paid tactic) is to be economical, monitor your results closely, and adjust your budget and strategy based on the data you gather.
What about you? Has your brand already successfully used Facebook Offers? Are you excited to try them?
