Social media marketing is an effective strategy to ensure brand promotion and relation to customers. Approaching social network marketing however is not simply a case of making your brand available on a site; the most important task is maintaining your brand on a regular basis. Keeping your users, or fans, entertained is paramount to success and this can only be achieved by an expert knowledge in the service/brand you are providing. There are two main approaches to Facebook marketing:

1. Facebook Fan Pages

In order to gain trust between customer and advertiser, a brand must commit to online discussion with their fans and post topics that are not directly related to their purpose. Brands will need to post regular updates containing areas of interests to their fans, this promotes discussion and will lead to more people wanting to join in. Your site acts as a host for active conversation and if successful, your page will be associated with entertainment and will therefore result in more fans.

However, you may ask what lively discussions about unrelated topics have to do with your brand buying power. The answer lies again in association. By providing a healthy source of entertainment to your fans you are associating your brand as more than just a slogan. Fans will trust your product/ service more than others because they will feel a part of yours, thanks to effective Facebook marketing.

Another way to secure your fans loyalty is to offer incentives for fans liking your page. This can include behind the scenes information or photos, discounts, competitions or rewards for linking your page to their networks. Everybody loves a freebie and the more positive associations your brand can provide, the more success you will enjoy.

2. Facebook Applications / Apps

Apps are another effective method of Facebook marketing. Apps, when designed correctly, have the ability to push your brand awareness into potential millions in a short space of time. Apps are able to build revenue by charging a relatively small one off sum for people to download their apps. Freemium apps work on the basis of providing a free service for users to experiment - see if they like the app, and, if they do then they can agree to a fixed sum. Most apps are around 50p - £2.00 and this is a small figure. However, if the app is popular, this figure can see thousands, or even millions of downloads which results in significant profits. In-app advertising is an additional way to generate revenue, advertisers will pay for space within an app as it offers a niche target audience.

Social networking is essentially a opportunity for brands to interact, build a relationship with their clients. Blatant advertising slogans and promotional tools that are employed in the media are seen as a one way conversation. Advertisements are based on customers listening and watching, in the hope that what they see will be positively associated with what they choose to buy. Within social media, or Facebook marketing however, this is not the case. Facebook pages are only accessed through a conscious decision to visit and consumers are very much in control of whether or not the page will succeed. Secure your Facebook potential by designing apps and pages expertly.