It’s easy to make a list of big brands on Facebook that are doing it right. But what I wanted to do is create a list of the smaller brands working with a limited budget who are doing an awesome job. I chose these pages, not because of the number of fans (several have a couple hundred) because that doesn’t matter. I chose them for the activity of their fan base, their brand voice, engagement and calls to action to convert fans into customers.
Every client we start with asks, “What if Facebook won’t work with my business? What if I’m an exception?” In this list we have everyone from a lunch box maker to a bank to an insurance agency. Every example is from a different industry.
In each example, I’ve listed three things that I like about that page. If you’re serious about improving your Facebook page, take some time to go through a few of the things that I listed on the actual Facebook pages and look at how those business owners are executing the things that are making them successful. You’ll come away with several ideas you can take action on immediately!
Pennsylvania Macaroni Company
Pennsylvania Macaroni Company is an Italian foods store that specializes in pasta, cheeses and other Italian foods.
Why we like it
- Love the company’s voice in every post. Each one is interesting and personal
- Keeps posts engaging with trivia, recipes, photos, questions about a variety of local and food related topics
- Each post is open-ended to encourage engagement
Thanks to Maya Grinberg for sharing this page!
Riffraff
Riffraff is a lifestyle clothing boutique based out of Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Why we like it
- RiffRaff uses a dead simple approach to showcasing their products via the wall. They use Facebook galleries for showcasing products and store employees for models.
- Keeps customers coming back for coupons and sweepstakes
- Use Facebook tabs for showcasing photos on Instagram and Pintrest as well as a store finder and easy ways to get in touch.
Thanks to Chance Chapman for sharing this page!
The Woods Coffee
The Woods Coffee is a family owned coffee shop with 12 locations around Whatcom County in Washington.
Why we like it
- Excellent use of both local and product photos keep the wall interesting
- Responds quickly to fans and encourages interaction
- Keeps a local feel by including other local businesses in their content
Thanks to Jeff Widman of PageLever for sharing this page!
Baseball Roses
Baseball Roses is a website that sells rose bouquets made out of real baseballs and footballs.
Why we like it
- Good use of incentives to like the page on the welcome tab
- Smart use of Facebook Advertising to increase fan base. (See the case study)
- Showcase fans photos on their wall to encourage sharing and enagement
Thanks to Brian Carter for sharing this page!
What’s in the Bible?
What’s in the Bible? is a DVD series from VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer designed to walk kids and families through the whole Bible, Genesis-Revelation.
(They were a past client of mine and have since taken the page to explosive growth!)
Why we like it
- Custom Facebook tabs include an e-commerce shop and newsletter sign-up so visitors don’t have to leave Facebook
- Fantastic use of exclusive content like pictures and videos for both parents and kids
- Keep audience coming back for features like “Trivia Tuesday” where they can answer questions and win prizes
Easy Lunch Boxes
Easy Lunch Boxes is an online lunch box maker started by a mom that provides easy bento style lunch boxes and containers.
Why we like it
- Effective welcome tab with call to action and benefits of liking the page
- Adds value by sharing recipes, useful tips, tutorials and pictures
- Includes an easy link to buy in “About” Section and integrates a Flickr tab to show huge gallery of user-submitted lunches for ideas and social proof
Tillamook Cheese
Tillamook Cheese is a 100 year old small town cheese factory that makes high quality dairy products like cheese, milk and ice cream.
https://www.facebook.com/TillamookCheese
Why we like it
- Amazing integration of Facebook with other marketing campaigns (I’ve interviewed the social media manager for this page on the topic. Read the interview here)
- Clever use of Facebook apps to increase brand awareness with the Chees’wich app that allows you to put your photo on a grilled cheese!
- Use the brand voice of “Loafy” the mascot across all channels to keep consistency and a fun tone in every piece of content they share
BMW of Minnetonka
BMW of Minnetonka is a Minnesota BMW dealership that features the world’s largest indoor showroom.
Why we like it
- Effective use of Facebook apps like the “View Inventory” app so fans don’t have to leave Facebook to browse their inventory
- Well-designed welcome tab and profile photo both with calls to action to LIKE the page
- Smart use of questions and weekly features in the updates to keep fans coming back
Missouri Bank
Missouri Bank is a community bank with four branches that has a strong local presence.
Why we like it
- Focus much of their content on promoting and sharing other local businesses which keeps it interesting and useful
- Brand voice is genuine and personal in every update and the fun pictures they post
- Solid engagement on the Facebook wall (especially for a bank!)
Banez Insurance
Banez Insurance is a Farmers Insurance Agency that started in 2008 and is based out of Stockton, CA.
Why we like it
- It’s tough to make insurance interesting but Banez keeps engagement up with a variety of useful posts and questions
- Welcome tab includes a good call to action and use of video
- Great use of Facebook tabs to incorporate and gather testimonials.
Idea Paint
IdeaPaint is a whiteboard paint that turns any smooth surface into a high performance dry-erase canvas.
Why we like it
- The entire page is extremely creative (which is good because it’s what the company is about!) and it shows it on the welcome tab, profile photo and galleries.
- Incredible community engagement through fans posting pictures of not only what they’ve used IdeaPaint for but also the things they’ve created on it
- Posting frequency is consistent and they’re usually quick to respond to fans questions
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre is a plastic surgery practice based out of San Diego, CA since 1988.
Why we like it
- Excellent integration with company blog in status updates
- Quick and very thorough answers to questions on the Facebook wall
- Provide a variety of engaging activities on their Facebook Tabs such as contests, awards for the most engaging fans and exclusive offers
Diamond Candles
Diamond Candles are soy candles that have real rings worth $10, $100, $1,000, or $5,000 inside every candle.
Why we like it
- This Facebook page has an extremely active community of Candle lovers and ring collectors. They do a great job at keeping up on questions despite the massive amount of comments they get.
- Great welcome page with a fan gate to give fans access to the page
- Use to crowd-source new scents for candles with their “Suggest New Scents” tab
Jackson Mountain Homes, Inc.
Jackson Mountain Homes is a cabin rental company based out of Gatlinburg, TN.
https://www.facebook.com/jacksonmountainhomes?sk=wall
Why we like it
- Engaging contests with photo submissions of the Smoky Mountains where they’re located (Photo/Video contests are tough to pull off but they did a great job!)
- Fantastic use of the photo galleries to showcase their lodges. And visitors are commenting on their stays in the lodges which add to the social proof.
- Quick responsive and helpful replies to inquiries on their Facebook wall
Thanks to Helen Todd for sharing this page!
Naples Botanical Garden
Naples Botanical Garden is a 170-acre world-class garden located in Naples, Florida.
Why we like it
- Posts engage a variety of audiences
- Excellent use of pictures throughout the wall
- Info tab does a great job on covering every question a potential visitor might have
Start Me Up Sportfishing
Start Me Up Sportfishing is an action sportfishing charter based out of Maui, Hawaii
Why we like it
- Great use of photo galleries to showcase customers catches (makes sure to check out the 884 lb Marlin!)
- Fantastic welcome tab with links to other tabs for information on rates, booking info and latest catches
- Personal posting style and good mix of fish photos, recipes and tips – though lately they’ve only been posting fish photos.
Florabella Collection
Florabella Collection features Textures and Photoshop Actions for photographers such as Aperture. Actions are compatible with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.
Why we like it
- Great use of encouraging customers to post pictures with the products they purchase from Florabella. Awesome social proof!
- Fantastic use of tabs for multiple freebies for fans and they make sure to point visitors to the tabs in the profile photo and welcome tab
- Smart use of updates to continually learn more about the audience as well as get them engaged by asking questions about their gear, technique etc.
What did you learn from these Facebook pages? Share your findings with me in the comments!
