Using Cause Marketing to Get Likes on Facebook

I'm glad John Haydon introduced me to Danny Brown, because he's given me a great idea on how to extend my retail point-of-sale programs to Facebook where I can get "likes" for my nonprofit and my retail partners. Danny's starting point is getting offline retail coupons online to Facebook.

Grab the artwork from your existing flyer (or make one unique to Facebook) and then transfer that to a tab on your page’s navigation menu. Currently this is created using the FBML application (and some HTML coding), though soon you’ll have to change to iFrame.

Call your tab something simple like Coupons or Discounts to grab attention. Then, to encourage folks to Like your page, only make the coupon or discount available to people after they like you. If you’re unsure how to do this, my friend John Haydon has a great guide on using Facebook HTML as well as hiding offers until people click your LIKE button. 

This got me thinking on the coupons we use in most of our pinup programs and how they may have value beyond a simple redemption. For example:

• Instead of a coupon like the ones you see here, partners could encourage consumers to visit their Facebook page for the coupon in exchange for a "like." Unlike an offline coupon or a web page, the retailer gains a new subscriber to their page. Yes, they have to work to keep that new fan, but the connection is a valuable one.
• If a retailer was feeling generous they could encourage shoppers to visit the cause's page to get the discount and the nonprofit would get the like. The cause could have a coupon tab with all the discounts from their partners--deals you could only get after you like the page!
• Getting people from an offline coupon to a Facebook page needn't be difficult. A QR code takes them there instantly and delivers the coupon! The QR code in my next pinup program would do the trick.

John Haydon told me that he plans to post on Danny's post as well. I'll be sure to update this page with a link if he does. John will certainly have some great info on how nonprofits can create and leverage a Facebook discount tab.