so you want a facebook app? read this first!

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App & Game 2012: Part 2 Part 2 of 5 ‘So, You Want a Facebook App?’ Read this first! GAMES & APPS IN 2012

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For brands, your Facebook presence is as important as your website - your customers are there and its where they spend a lot of time. A brand's Facebook page requires compelling content, not just stuff re-purposed from your website. The content must grab the user while they're in the social space and maximise the social impacts. Well designed Facebook apps give your customers reasons to connect with you. Take a look at some reasons why your brand needs a Facebook app and how you should go about getting one.

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Page 1: So You Want a Facebook App? Read this first!

App & Game 2012: Part 2

Part 2 of 5

‘So, You Want a Facebook App?’

Read this first!

GAMES & APPS IN 2012

Page 2: So You Want a Facebook App? Read this first!

App & Game 2012: Part 2

5 THINGS TO CONSIDER

1. Aussies Love Facebook

2. App or Not?

3. Be Ready to Adapt, Quickly

4. Don’t Scrimp On Content

5. 5 Tips for a Successful Facebook App

Page 3: So You Want a Facebook App? Read this first!

App & Game 2012: Part 2

1. AUSSIES LOVE FACEBOOK There are over 10.7 million Aussies actively using Facebook – 50.4% of population (1)

In Australia, 63% of all Internet users have a Facebook profile (2)

75% of Aussie Facebook users are accessing it EVERY DAY (via multiple devices) - globally this is much lower, suggesting that in Australia, we’re all addicted to Facebook! (4)

67% of Aussie Facebook users are aged 18-44 (2)

Facebook is now more than just ‘mainstream’, it’s a major part of the average Aussie’s life – like TV or music.

Just ‘being on Facebook’ and ‘generating likes’ won’t cut it anymore. Brands need to feed their Facebook community with exciting and dynamic content that consumers will actually want to CONNECT with.

AUS Facebook Demographics (Feb, 2012)

Page 4: So You Want a Facebook App? Read this first!

App & Game 2012: Part 2

2. APP OR NOT?There are limitless possibilities for brands creating content on Facebook. Do you need an app or should you simply replicate the information from your website and ask users to Like you?

Here are a few reasons to consider an app over straight web content:

Which App? Some Types include:

Information Services: News, Store Locator, etc

Entertainment: Videos, dynamic updates, etc

Promos/Comps: Campaigns, UGC contests, etc

Games: Social games, quizzes, etc)

F-Commerce: Booking, buying, catalogues, etc

Community Engagement: Polls, forums, etc

Customer Service: Contact forms, feedback, etc

Gather More User Data: Apps require permission from the user to be installed. In the permissions process the brand can acquire the user’s contact and other details

Post More Data to the User’s Wall: Again, the permissions process facilitates the posting of detailed updates to the user’s Wall about their interaction with the brand in the app for their Friends to see – more Sharing!

Facilitate Inviting User’s Friends: In accessing the user’s information, the app can also access the user’s Facebook Friends, making it possible to invite Friends to also use the app – more Sharing!

Encourage Collaboration and Competition Between Friends: With a Social Graph, apps can display what the user’s Friends are doing in the app, eg a game app can display the user’s Friends’ game scores for comparison

Allow More User Interaction: Simple content display only allows a brand to generate comments and Likes. Apps like games, voting, competitions allow the brand to get the user engaged in interaction

Better Reporting and Analysis

Page 5: So You Want a Facebook App? Read this first!

App & Game 2012: Part 2

3. BE READY TO ADAPT, QUICKLY

What Will the Timeline Offer Brands? (6)

• More room for images = Bigger impact & more branding opps!

• Brand information is made clearer and more easily accessible

• The infinite scroll capability means content has a longer lifespan

• Individual content is able to be featured more prominently

• Content will be organised in a way that allows brands to ‘tell a story’

• The timeline can easily serve and double as the brand’s blog

• The way the timeline is setup means brands can post less frequently, and move to a “Quality over Quantity” engagement strategy

Facebook is constantly changing and evolving, and because of this brands are being forced to adapt quickly – without much notice. A change in Facebook’s terms or policy can lead to apps no longer functioning properly.

Keeping up-to-date with Facebook and being aware of all these changes is hard work and can be very time-consuming. Most brands find it easier, and more cost-effective, to outsource Facebook development so they don’ t have to deal with Facebook’s mood swings.

Facebook Timeline for BrandsExpected to launch late Feb 2012 (6)

Page 6: So You Want a Facebook App? Read this first!

App & Game 2012: Part 2

4. DON’T SCRIMP ON CONTENTA brand just ‘being on Facebook’ will not drive consumers to ACTION. Facebook, and it’s collective user base, has grown up. Now, a brand’s Facebook presence has to be on par with it’s website – it has to reflect and represent the quality of the brand. (3)

Facebook users are bombarded with exciting content every time they login – that’s half the reason why they login in the first place. As such, users will compare every piece of content they encounter on Facebook with the best they’ve seen.

In order to CUT-THROUGH the noise and CONNECT with consumers, brands need to be willing to invest in creating high quality content; only then will they be able to drive ACTION.

Brands who use the remnants of their digital marketing budget to launch uninspired ‘basic’ Facebook apps & promos run the risk of cheapening the overall brand value and disappointing their community.

If you’ve only got $5k or so to spend on Facebook, don’t try and do a ‘cool app’, just invest it in FB advertising instead.

(5)

Page 7: So You Want a Facebook App? Read this first!

App & Game 2012: Part 2

5. ENSURING SUCCESS – 5 TIPSUnless your brand page already has a substantial Facebook community (over 100,000), the simple act of creating a Facebook app is not enough to ensure it’s success. Here are 5 tips for ensuring your Facebook app is a success:

INTEGRATE – Where possible, the app should always be integrated with the overall marketing strategy and any other planned activity. Try not to make the app an orphan!

PROMOTE – Apps need to be promoted using a planned strategy. Posting a single update when the app is launched is not enough, the community needs constant reminders and reasons to engage with it.

MARKET - The entire budget should never be spent on development alone, instead a portion of the budget should be saved for marketing activity. For example, Facebook advertising is a great way to support the launch of a new app.

TEST – Apps need to be thoroughly tested. A single error or bug could mean a negative backlash from the entire community , and chances are they won’t go back, even if it the issue is resolved. This is another reason why it’s so important for brands to use a developer who has experience and follows a rigorous testing process.

MANAGE - The whole process needs to be managed, from the app’s launch to the time the app is taken down. This includes everything from monitoring analytics to responding to community feedback.

Brief

Design

Build

TestingLaunch

Promote

Monitor

Page 8: So You Want a Facebook App? Read this first!

App & Game 2012: Part 2

3RDSENSE – WHY USE US?

Experience on Facebook• Since 2010, we’ve worked on over 20 Facebook projects,

ranging from game-based promotions to large-scale social games.

We Keep Up With Facebook• Facebook is always evolving (cue Timeline) – and we evolve

with it. Every time Facebook introduces new features or makes changes to existing ones, our developers are on top of it.

Existing Tools = Cost-Effective Development• We’ve already developed a number of tools, specific to

Facebook, that allow us to be very cost-effective. These tools range from social graphs (leaderboards) to virtual economies

Page 9: So You Want a Facebook App? Read this first!

App & Game 2012: Part 2

GET IN TOUCH

Interested in discussing your Facebook app development?

Call or email the commercial team:

02 8923 1200

[email protected]

3rdsense.com

Page 10: So You Want a Facebook App? Read this first!

App & Game 2012: Part 2

REFERENCES

1. Facebook Advertising Stats (2/2/12)

2. Social Bakers Stats (2/2/12)

3. Facebook Marketing: What Works – Whitepaper 2011

4. Nielsen – Mentioned at #HackSydney Event on 2/2/12

5. The 15 Best Facebook Pages You’ve Ever Seen (Nov, 2011)

6. Why Facebook Timeline Will Be Huge For Brands (Sept, 2011)