Zappos and Target on Facebook

Some time ago, I wrote about a social media catastrophe that struck Dominos Pizza in 2009. Luckily, not everyone has seen problems arising from social media. Here are two companies that are shining example of having done things the right way.

Zappos on Facebook
Instead of using Facebook for nothing but posting updates on their business, Zappos has shown that a little creativity, and user interaction, can go a long way. They have frequent contests through their profile. But they also have a nice little twist.

A tab on their Facebook page, usually takes you to an interactive game of sorts. This game might require you to create the perfect look using their clothes and accessories, or to correct fashion faux pas. These act as entries, and the winner can get the entire look for free, or win special items from Zappos.

They also provide catalogs of their current lines, which can be accessed through another tab. You browse the items with active links, and there are “buy now” buttons that lead to the official site for checkout, which gets around the fear of Facebook shopping not being secure.

What Can Ecommerce Businesses Learn From Zappos' Facebook Initiative?
You can hit all the stops with a single profile. All it takes is some creative thinking, and a willingness to work around common concerns that customers might have. Also, when you see the creatives, games, language, imagery, and iconography on the Facebook page, you know that it is in perfect synch with the branding that Zappos displays on its own website. These consistent visuals deepen the customer's engagement with the brand.

Target on Facebook
Instead of focusing on the business side of things, the biggest tactic that Target employed was charity. They frequently hold giveaways for community efforts, such as donations of $10,000 in gift cards for local schools. If you 'like' the Target page, you can search for your child's school, and vote for it to get one of the giveaways.

This keeps customers supporting the company, and makes them more likely to buy. Target also provides information about current deals, so when customers vote, or take part in their community action programs, they will likely buy.

Different Facebook Pages for Different Lines of Business
Another tactic that Target has taken advantage of, is creating secondary accounts for different lines. They have a Target Baby and a Target Style page, each with its own communication, deals, and contests. This method of compartmentalizing their business focus, while drawing attention to their main account with community aid programs, has given them a loyal following.

What Can Ecommerce Businesses Learn From Target's Facebook Initiative?
You can create an entire social media campaign that intertwines different accounts for a single purpose. This will allow you to give different target audiences a more focused approach to communication, while bringing it all back to a central hub.

Conclusion
When it comes to actual storefronts on sites like Facebook, big businesses have seen little success. But presence on social websites has lived up to the promise of connecting with customers. As for small businesses, many have sung the praises of social media. They claim that through their social profiles they have managed to boost business, and increase visibility significantly.

It all comes down to recognizing the potential of Facebook, and doing it right from the very beginning. Ecommerce is commerce executed electronically. How you get the customer to reach your website or location of commerce is not that important. It is smartest for you to talk to your customers at the location where they choose to congregate. At this point of time, Facebook is certainly one such location.