Wednesday, January 11, 2012

TOP 10: Small Business Facebook Pages

Small businesses can stand out in a big way with Facebook. If you’re looking for some creative examples of Facebook pages from the small guys, look no further!
More than 1400 nominations came in from our contest.
Our panel of Facebook experts carefully reviewed the nominees and finalists, analyzing their landing pages, engagement, reader involvement and creative use of promotions (among other things).
None of these businesses have huge budgets, yet they have all achieved amazing success. The following are the winners of Social Media Examiner’s Top 10 Small Business Facebook Pages for 2011:

#1: Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel is an Australian travel agency specializing in creating unique travel adventures.
Fans: 79,018
intrepid travel
What the judges liked:
  • Great description of company philosophy on Info page
  • Appealing use of “photo of the day”
  • Keeps customers returning through mystery trips (“surprise and delight” element) and an interactive game
  • Creates customer community on Meet Others page

#2: Easy Lunch Boxes

Easy Lunch Boxes makes healthy, green lunch boxes and containers.
Fans: 11,606
easy lunch boxes
What the judges liked:
  • Fabulous branding on welcome page, also making clear the incentives for liking the page
  • Creative use of Photos tab
  • Excellent responsiveness to each individual commenter
  • Shares good content for moms/people raising families

#3: SnapRetail

SnapRetail is an online marketing agency for retail stores.
Fans: 3,455
snap retail
What the judges liked:
  • Good use of quotes, links and personal stories in posts
  • Keeps it personal through photo uploads and allowing employees to reveal their identities
  • “Snappy Hour” is a great way to increase conversation, involvement and answer social media marketing questions
  • Welcome tab has a good video and integration with other social media platforms

#4: Garden Quest

Garden Quest is an innovative Facebook gardening game that requires knowledge of gardening to win.
Fans: 56,719
garden quest
What the judges liked:
  • Effective pre-launch page and campaign – good buzz created
  • Smart use of incentives for liking the page
  • Fantastic interaction on the wall (getting fans to post pictures, etc.)
  • Effective job of marketing its unique 3D gaming experience

#5: Arizona Pro DJs

Arizona Pro DJs is a teen entertainment company based in Scottsdale, AZ.
Fans: 10,261
arizona pro dj
What the judges liked:
  • Vibrant graphics appeal to the right demographic
  • Good use of prizes for liking the page
  • Great enforcement of spamming policies
  • Excellent engagement practices of posting photos and music asking for feedback

#6: Dog Training Ireland

Dog Training Ireland are dog trainers and behavior specialists based in Blanchardstown, Ireland.
Fans: 2,287
dog training
What the judges liked:
  • Tons of helpful info on Info tab (might never have to visit website)
  • Good use of Facebook for customer service (e.g., taking reservations)
  • Fun video under About Us
  • Great practice of posting pictures of dogs available for adoption

#7: New Jersey Family

New Jersey Family is a magazine and resource for New Jersey kids, parents and families.
Fans: 2,515
new jersey family
What the judges liked:
  • Great use of the avatar and photo strip
  • Outstanding family-oriented content (recipes, trip ideas, free advice)
  • Good customer engagement
  • Fun use of Questions tab

#8: Obeo

Obeo is a creator of online interactive visual experiences for realtors.
Fans: 2,378
obeo
What the judges liked:
  • Good use of incentives to like the page for Facebook exclusive promotions
  • Variety in posts (blogs, pictures, trivia, links)
  • Nice presentation of video and virtual staging on Welcome tab
  • Smart balance of content on YouTube tab – informational and inspirational

#9: Piggies & Paws

Piggies & Paws are creators of custom art from children’s hand- and footprints.
Fans: 5,961
piggies & paws
What the judges liked:
  • Fun and engaging Welcome tab (good use of Fan of the Week in avatar)
  • Find an Artist Near You tab is helpful to fans wanting to host a party
  • Posts are audience-appropriate
  • Consistently responsive to fan posts

#10: Brasserie Sixty6

Brasserie Sixty6 is a modern European restaurant in Dublin, Ireland.
Fans: 4,730
brasserie
What the judges liked:
  • Excellent use of apps for displaying menu, reviews and reservations
  • Strong call to action for joining mailing list
  • Good use of videos
  • Engagement on wall is personable and consistent
Congratulations to the winners. Be sure to check out these amazing pages!

The Prizes

Each of our winners receives the following:
A free pass to Facebook Success Summit 2011Each company wins a pass to attend the web’s largest online Facebook marketing conference.
The badge of distinction: If you’re a winner, you can post the image you see here on your blog or Facebook page and please link back to this page.
A special thanks to our judges—Mari Smith (co-author, Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day), Dave Kerpen (author, Likeable Social Media) and Michael Stelzner (author, Launch)—for their participation!



Looking to buy or sell a home in the Dallas/Fort Worth areas?  Professional real estate agent Patricia Young specializes in helping buyers and sellers invest in real estate in Denton County and in surrounding neighborhood."This "client first" philosophy has always been her approach and it requires them to continually improve their skills and ways of doing business.So when you decide that you'd like to buy or sell a home in the Dallas/Fort Worth areas, please contact us.


Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Top 10 Marketing Infographics of 2011

1. Inbound Marketing Rising
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2. The Anatomy of a Fan

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3. Top Email Marketing Irritations

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4. The Science of Social Timing: Timing & Email Marketing

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5. Strong Signals

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7. 100 Million Professionals

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8. A World Without Facebook

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9. The QR Invasion

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10. The Value of Being Linkedin

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What are some of your favorite inbound marketing infographics from the past year?




Looking to buy or sell a home in the Dallas/Fort Worth areas?  Professional real estate agent Patricia Young specializes in helping buyers and sellers invest  in real estate in Denton County and in surrounding neighborhood."This "client first" philosophy has always been our approach and it requires us to continually improve our skills and ways of doing business.So when you decide that you'd like to buy or sell a home in the Dallas/Fort Worth areas, please contact us.