If you haven’t registered yet for Facebook you should give it a try. Not only can you sign up for groups of people who are interested in the same things you are, you can become a “Fan” of companies who will reward you with coupons, freebies, and perks in limited time promotions.
Several months ago, Starbucks had great success giving away free pints of ice cream to a limited number of people who were among the first to sign up. Companies are using these promotions to get a targeted number of people to sign up for their Facebook page. The numbers can be anywhere from 100,000 sign ups to a million.
Current promotions include these:
Sign up for free Edible Arrangements chocolate dipped fruit. You’ll get a coupon with a code to order a free 6 box valued at $15.
Get a free Nature Valley Nut Clusters Sample clicking the link on this page. You can also enter for a chance to win a trip to the 2009 Birds of Prey ski race.
Print a $1 coupon for Muir Glen Organic tomatoes on this facebook page. The more people who sign up as facebook fans, the more money Muir Glen donates to the Chefs Collaborative which promotes sustainable farming.
The promotion for free Little Debbie chocolate cakes is ended, but you can sign up for other promotions and contests here.
TGI Fridays Facebook page has a link for their Give me more Stripes promotion. These are cards which are an incentive program – the more you spend at Fridays, the more perks you will earn in free food. If you go to the restaurant a lot, this could save you some money.
The page for Kraft Dinner(mac and cheese) features opportunities to enter sweepstakes.
Let’s hope that we see more of these perks. But let’s avoid the disaster that Marsh Stores in Indiana had with their facebook promo. Marsh had a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $10 or more. Naturally, the website was FLOODED with downloads. There was nothing in place to prevent fraudulent duplication. So the promotion was discontinued, and a lot of former fans were pretty disgruntled.
Facebook is a great way to promote new products, get signups, and collect emails from customers interested in receiving more offers. Companies should exercise caution and control, state the limits clearly, and take steps to avoid fraud.