Facebook is not a sales tool.

By Kellie J. Lala

Think social media is a cool way to make sales?  Think again.  According to a February 17, 2012 Bloomberg report, GAP, Inc., J.C. Penney Co. and Nordstrom Inc. have all opened and then closed down their storefronts on Facebook Inc.’s social networking site. There was hope that Facebook would turn into a new on-line destination, a place where people would spend their money.  But it was really trying to sell stuff to people hanging out with their friends at bars.  Facebook also fully intended to profit from retailers buying ads to drive traffic to their on-site stores.  Those numbers have yet to be seen.  Gamestop’s Ashley Sheetz VP of marketing said “we just didn’t get the return on investment we needed.  For us, it’s been a way we communicate with customers on deals, not a place to sell.”   GAP, Inc. and their sister companies Banana Republic and Old Navy have all opened and closed their Facebook sites.  They found that their customers preferred to shop their own websites.  They also saw that Facebook was just another place to shop for all the stuff that was already available on their websites.  Why manage two of the exact same thing?  How are you using Facebook and other social media tools?  Does it make sense to repeat the deals or offers from your website?  Good question!  Happy selling!

Does Your Message Deliver?

By Glen Gardner/ Marketing and Branding Consultant

As I was watching the Super Bowl the other day I couldn’t help but think about all the money that was being wasted right before my eyes. At $3.5 million for a commercial, I would have thought those who produce these messages might be more concerned about results than winning creative awards.

Many of the commercials during the game were very entertaining, but probably didn’t do much to sell anything. As a matter of fact, I had a hard time remembering any product specifically. I could remember the story line of some of the commercials, but I had a hard time connecting those story lines with any products or services.

When you design a campaign you have to be careful that you don’t get “lost” in the creative process. The commercial message still needs to sell something at some level or why bother? It can be the most entertaining 30 seconds in the universe, but that doesn’t mean it will motivate anyone to do anything.

Some of the most effective campaigns I’ve been associated with weren’t very Earth-shattering when it came to entertainment value, but they did get huge results. Because the product or service was so good and the benefit of action so evident, it didn’t require a three-ring circus. We just had to put it out there with proper frequency and the public responded.

Sometimes you just need to let your product or service be the star and leave the baby in a slingshot for someone who has a lot more money to waste than you do.