Lindsey’s Daily Deal: Facing Facebook, Learn How To Stop Falling Down the Stairs and The Living Dead–Now That’s A Contradiction

By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains readers,

Here’s your Tuesday Deal:

1. Facing Facebook

A lot of companies have finally bitten the social media bullet and created a Facebook page. However, once they’ve signed up, written their profile and nabbed a few friends, they’re wondering why fans aren’t “liking” their page by the thousands. Truth be told, we Captains have been wondering the same thing.

After making our debut appearance on Facebook back in 2009, the Captains officially have…drum roll please…109 fans—most of which are either related to us, or are wonderfully supportive friends.

Waa waa.

It’s not that we don’t appreciate the love we have, we do. It’s just that we thought the point of getting on Facebook was to expose your company and content to people who would have never otherwise known about it. Why am I telling you this? Because if we’re having this problem, maybe your company is, too.

But, there’s hope. No need to cancel your account or create a Mark Zuckerberg voodoo doll. I recently came across an article by Ruth M. Shipley on the Social Media Examiner called, “16 Ways to Master Facebook Marketing.” Since I’m a sucker for a title with a number in it, and interested in learning how we Captains can save our ship, I read it. It turns out, Shipley knows a thing or two about a thing or two.

Rather than creating a Facebook page and then just hoping it manifests fans for you, you actually have to create a Facebook strategy. DER. Isn’t that what marketing is all about? Once you’ve calculated your own goals for Facebook, you can begin utilizing a few tactics to get people poking around your page more frequently. Here are a few of Shipley’s favorites: 1) Reward every person who posts on your site with a personal response. 2) Avidly delete all spam. 3) Create questions that engage people. 4) Link to other people’s stuff.

According to Michael Stelzner, creator of the Social Media Examiner, it not only works, but also it scored him a few thousand fans in just a few days.

I don’t know about you, but with results like that, I fully plan on making Shipley my new Jedi Master.

To learn more about Shipley’s social media tips, check out her article on the Social Media Examiner. Or to learn about what’s going on with the Captains, check out our Facebook page @Captains of Industry. We promise we’ll give a warm and personal response to any and all posts in a prompt and timely manner. And we’ll even add a technique of our own that’s guaranteed to work: bribery. That’s right. The first person who friends Captains on Facebook with the phrase “Thanks for the bribe. Let’s be friends” will win a FREE Captains of Industry mug.

See how much we’re learning already?

2. Learn how to stop falling down the stairs

Or how not to break your nose by getting dressed in the dark.

It’s funny how perfectly capable women who seem so steady on their feet manage to accumulate black eyes, bruises and broken limbs. Sadly, most of these ladies will continue their “klutzy” streak until they get rid of their abusive, good for nothing boyfriends/husbands.

In a recent PSA created in Germany for domestic violence, Y&R exposes the excuses women give when questioned about their injuries from abusive relationships. If the repeated falls down the stairs in this spot don’t break your heart, the call to action will. Not only does the ad inspire battered women to save themselves, but it begs friends and family to consider the possibility that someone they know might be in a relationship that’s killing them.

What do you think about the ad? Too much or just enough?

3. The living dead. Now that’s a contradiction.

Starbursts has been trying their damnedest to make their concept for their solidly juicy candy work. But even with a Scottish/Korean bagpipe-playing father and son duo, they have yet to make anyone truly swoon over their ads. However, their latest TV spot utilizes a contradiction that everyone can find amusing, a zombie. In the commercial, the zombie interrupts the Scoteans while they discuss how juicy Starbursts are to tell them that they are boring him to death. And he’s already dead. So they are boring him BACK to death.

Not only did I enjoy the zombie’s snarky Boston train-goer-like attitude, but I liked that Starburst actually mastered a true contradiction rather than just a strange combination for their new concept.

Can you think of any other possible contradictions for Starburst?

Until tomorrow,

Captain Lindsey