Most Top Retailers have branded Facebook Pages, do you?

In a May 2008 study and October 2008 follow up, Rosetta found that 59% of the top 100 retailers have created branded Facebook Pages. This number is up from 30% in the May study.

Companies are moving to Facebook because that is where their customers are. Facebook continues to grow extremely rapidly, with most of the new growth happening in the post-college age groups. Facebook Pages allow companies to easily reach these users and to track many key metrics that would be difficult to get elsewhere.

Branded Facebook Pages provide companies many ways to engage with their customers.

• Discussion forums - this is on every Page by default and allows the company and users to have conversations, ask and answer questions, and built a community.
• Notes - the company can create posts with useful content for its customers such as company news, how-to guides or tips and tricks or even pull in the company blog via RSS.
• Photos and Videos - both users and the company can upload videos and pictures of new products, company events, viral videos, and more.
• Fans and Updates - users can sign up to be Fans, and the company can then send them important notifications such as deals or product launch information.
• Applications - companies can add applications to their site that allow users to get real value from the Page like searching for jobs, finding a recipe or trying on clothes.

At the same time, Facebook Pages provide the companies with important metrics about the visitors such as their age group and gender.

Below are some examples of branded Facebook Pages. Notice that many of them have distinguished themselves from the masses by customizing the Page to show off their brand and by adding interactive applications.

• Target
• Kelly Services
• Amazon
• BlueFly
• Victoria's Secret Pink
• Winter, Wyman
• American Eagle
• Gap
• Linens-N-Things

Just like in any other part of social media, if companies don't create their own presence, users will create one for them.

Thought Labs can help your company create a branded Facebook Page that helps you communicate with your users and provide them with real value. For more information, please email info@thoughtlabs.com