Facebook Fan Page Review

This week, I took a look at a number of Company Facebook Fan pages.
I wanted to know which ones I interact with the most, and why?  What are they doing well, and what can they work on?

This was an interesting task for me, because I take pride in not falling for these, what I like to call "marketing traps" that are Fan Pages.  Company fan pages are very successful because the consumer can interact with company, by posting on the wall, liking different photos or comments etc.  The 2 most beneficial points of a Facebook Fan Page are that people are already on Facebook (no need to go to a different webpage) and the company has the option of pushing information to you via messages or updates showing on your News Feed.

So to begin this investigation, I had to look through the few fan pages that I "Like" and ask myself, why am I a Fan of this Page and not another one?
For starters, I am not a Fan of Coca-Cola, Starbucks or any other large corporation.  Those 2 that I mentioned are consistently in the top 3 for Social Media Marketing dollars spent, as well as consumer interaction.  So why not me?  My immediate thought is that I don't consume their products.  I do not drink coffee.  In fact, the only time I have ever had a cup (and this is true) was when I was in France, and my boss ordered one for everyone.  It is in their culture to have a small pressed strong coffee after meals (especially lunch) and I didn't want to be rude.  As for Coca-Cola, I tend to prefer water or perhaps a juice.  I am not a soda pop kind of person.  And when I do indulge in a soda, it is not cola.  Most likely Iced Tea (I know it's not a soda, but it is found with the fountain drinks at fast food restaurants) or Ginger Ale, on the odd occasion that they offer it.

Alright, so I was a Fan of a few pages, I think 8 to be exact.  Why did I "Like" these companies?  A few of them I had worked for, so it was to support them.  Others are companies of friends, so again to support them.  As I'm looking through these companies, I realized that the one I interacted with most isn't a company of a friend or anything else similar to that.  In fact, I have had zero contact with this company at all, other than finding them on the Facebook ads on the right hand side of the page.  I saw the ad one day, and was very interested and curious, and have been following them ever since.  Actually, interestingly enough, it's not even a company, it's an event!

Tough Mudder.  An extreme event that takes place all across the United States of America.  It is different at each location as it moves across the country, however, it is on average about 12 miles long, with a minimum of 10 extreme obstacles.  The extreme obstacles vary from swimming/running through 3 foot deep mud, to jumping over fire, to running through a wall of live wires putting out 10,000 volts (I'm not kidding).  It is made to be one of the most challenging events in the country, and has a growing following that is quickly turning into a small community, or better yet, a family.  Throughout the Facebook Fan Page, people comment on others photos etc and call each other "Mudder brother".

There are a number of interesting bits about this Facebook Fan page that pulls me in for up to a half hour at a time.  To start, it is an event that takes place in different locations at different times, thus, there are constant updates of the "Next Mudder", or photos and stories from the previous one.

A recent favourite has been the hand drawn obstacles of the upcoming Mudder.  These are not blueprints or engineer drawings, but are the original hand drawings from the creator, just after he thought of them.  Some of them are designed on the computer using the program Paint, while others are pencils drawings on a scrap piece of paper, with arrows and descriptions all over.  My favourite section is not the ever interesting professional photographs of the past events, but the photos of the regular joe who is training for the event.  These are amateur photos of everyday people doing extreme or extraordinary things in order to physically and mentally prepare themselves for this intense event.

In allowing participants to post photos and videos, others are encouraged to post their own, comment on others, and just generally get excited for this first of its kind event.  This kind of activity and participation not only adds to the community feeling amongst strangers, but engages people year-round.  There have been a few who plan on following the event around the country hoping to participate in each one.

The general feeling of the site is for continued engagement, where people will return after the event to post tips for others, and answer questions.  Compared to a regular run, where visitors may visit once before the event for some more information regarding the run, this has created a small community of loyal followers.  I will admit, it does help that it is an extreme event, helping to bring people together faster, especially with such low participant numbers.  But the fact remains, wether or not the numbers are large or small, the online presence and participation is large.

So, technically, what do they do well?  Well, they grabbed me online.  Right off the bat, that is a fantastic start.  Especially for pulling in a Canadian (the event is only held in the states), who is likely not going to participate in the Mudder, and yet, I will browse the photos of the latest run to see the photos, read the stories and see what new obstacles were thought of.  So they used Facebook advertising to bring in new viewers.  And guess what I did as soon as I found it?  That's right, I forwarded to my friends.  No, not all of them, but to the specific ones that I thought might be interested.
Secondly, they kept me engaged by allowing everyone to post photos, videos, comments etc.   Mudder also does a fantastic job of uploading professional photos after each event, where participants can go through and tag themselves.
In the information section, they describe their Mission Statement, Vision, and location of all events (including future events still in the planning for 2012), with dates.  All the key information is there for you right away.  The tab below "Info" is "Intro" where there is a short professionally made video, with links to register below.  Having the ability to register right there is amazing for converting views into dollars right away.  Very efficient.

This is all great, but where can they improve?  Nothing is ever perfect.  Well, by looking through the page I notice that the page wasn't personalized at all.  It looks just like any other Facebook page.  It has the same format and tabs, where Coca-Cola for example, has a completely personalized look.  This could be for a lack of technical support in designing and maintaining the site, or it could be done like this on purpose.  Looking at the target market, jocks, athletes, extreme outdoor enthusiasts who perhaps don't spend much time online, and who feel more comfortable with a format that they are familiar with.

All in all, this is a very engaging and interactive Fan Page.  My favourite part is that you are not always conversing with the company (or product) but with other past and future participants who want to help each other prepare for this amazing event.  I am just as excited as them, and I can't wait for the Tough Mudder to arrive in Vancouver in 2012.

Check out the Tough Mudder Facebook Fan Page here.

I hope to see you there!