We reached a huge milestone for The Frugality Game on Facebook yesterday: 10,000 fans. It feels great to hit that mark before tomorrow’s launch.

Along the way, I’ve learned a lot about what works. In future posts, I’ll dig in-depth to explore the details. For now, here are some initial thoughts.

• Have a good product. This doesn’t mean that your product has to be perfect. Since The Frugality Game hasn’t even launched yet, many people have become fans based on the just the concept, the pitch and the prizes.
   
• Leverage other efforts. Since many social media projects don’t start with a huge budget, you need to tie into what’s already happening and apply it to social media. Repurpose existing contest and tie into existing promotions. For example, I was able to get a $1,000 prize for pre-registered users extended to fans.
   
• Offer rewards. When you’re in budget meetings, social media is about what it can do for your company. But when you’re online, it’s all about what you can do for your audience. Not everyone responds to prizes, but enough people do (and enough large brands have set the example). We also offered fans an early invitation to the game.
   
• Use your connections. Everyone who knows you or your brand should know that you’re on Facebook and how they can benefit. If some of your friends and family let their friends know, the multiplier can be significant. We asked our employees to become fans, then ran a contest for them to recommend it to friends.
   
• Customize. Adding a custom landing tab can give you a great way to offer your pitch. We included information about the games and prizes, an arrow pointing to the “Become a fan” button, and a email sign-up. Remarkably, 35% of fans have also pre-registered with the email sign-up.
   
• Engage. But don’t over-post. Once a user clicks “Hide” or “Unsubscribe” because they feel spammed, they’ll probably never see your updates again. However, realize that you will lose some people along the way, and that’s okay as long as your increase is bigger. Also, responding quickly and frequently to comments has increased the sense of community. When people ask questions–answer!
   
• Advertise. Advertising on Facebook is one of the biggest opportunities in marketing today. Prices are still relatively low, since not everyone has figured it out yet, and you can target your exact audience. Viral growth is a powerful multiplier, but it relies on the size of your initial population. Get the most out of your efforts by investing in well-targeted ads to grow your initial viral seed.
   
• Test. When advertising, try different images, different copy and different demographics. When you find something that works, test variations of that. You could spend a few dollars per fan if you don’t test, but potentially much less if you do. I found advertising combinations that resulted in a new fan for every $0.09-0.45 spent. More on how to do this in a future post (subscribe).
   
• Find the right fans. Once you have a few fans, figure out what they have in common (look at profiles to find out what else they’re fans of). Then advertise to more people like them. This helped me realize that women who are fans of TigerDirect.com might also become fans of The Frugality Game (they did, in astounding numbers).
   
• Get creative. Social media is so hyped right now that people expect extraordinary results with small budgets. Prove you can deliver something with a small budget, then don’t be afraid to ask for more. Companies like to invest in things that are working (and producing measurable results).
   
• Go viral. Our final push to get over 10,000 (we added about a thousand fans yesterday) came when I posted:
  

  We’re giving away $1,000 today! Last chance to invite your friends before the drawing…just go to http://Facebook.com/FrugalityGame and click “Suggest to Friends” under our profile picture. Stay tuned later for the announcement of the winner.

  Dozens and dozens of fans posted and commented that they had invited their friends. We’re still seeing significant growth from that blast. Obviously, that wouldn’t have worked without the other elements already in place.
   

If you’re interested in learning more about how to leverage Facebook and increase fans, please comment, subscribe, and post on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you!

• brand?
• company?
• organization?
• charity?
• cause?
• issue?
• product?
• service?
• anything that someone might like?

Then give people an opportunity to become your fan on Facebook.

With more than 200 million active users (half of whom check it daily), Facebook should be a key part of your communications strategy.

Since it’s such a great tool for reaching a targeted audience, I’m exploring Facebook as part of my job search strategy (forgive me for a little self-promotion now).

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Know anyone looking for a communications specialist?
Send them my resume! Thank you.
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Today, we’ll cover the basics of creating your first fan page. You can also check out my step-by-step guide to advertising on Facebook.

Creating a fan page costs nothing, and it allows you to connect with your audiences in meaningful ways. Facebook treats pages like personal profiles: your fans will receive updates from you on their homepage, just like they do from their friends. You can’t buy that. Obviously, you want fans.

Here’s the step-by-step guide to creating a Facebook fan page:

Step 1: Visit facebook.com/pages/manage/ and click on “+ Create Page”.

Step 2: Choose a category, name your page, and state your authority to speak on your client’s behalf.

Step 3: Now you need to add content. Add (1) a photo, (2) a blurb, and (3) some background with a link to your website. If you have other stuff to add–even better!

Step 4: Check your settings. Click “Edit Page” under your profile picture. Here you have options for gender, age restrictions, published/unpublished, and applications.

Step 5: Publish. Double-check everything first, then change “Published Status” under “Settings.”

Step 6: Get fans. Congratulations! You have a fan page. Celebrate! But don’t think that we’re going to stop there. Now you need some fans. You start. Click “Become a fan!” Then you’ll have the opportunity to suggest that your friends also become fans.

Step 7: Advertise your new page to your target audience. Follow my step-by-step guide to advertising on Facebook. If you select your fan page as an ad’s destination, Facebook will automatically include social actions: users can become your fan directly from the ad, as well as see any of their friends who are already fans.

Don’t forget to send people to your page from other places as well (like your website and Twitter).

Step 8: Update your page regularly (but don’t spam).

Continuing adding photos, wall posts, video, links, discussions, etc. Make your page valuable and worth people’s time, and your fan base will continue to grow.

You can even target updates to followers with specific demographics.

Step 9: Track metrics (Click “View Insights” under your picture). Here you can see who’s interacting with your page and how.

That’s it! You’re well on your way to Facebook success.

If you’ve developed a fan page, share your experience in the comments! How have you used fan pages? How has your brand benefited as a result? What challenges did (or do) you face?

If you’re just considering creating a fan page, what’s holding you back?

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Like it? Tweet it! A step-by-step guide to creating and promoting a Facebook fan page: http://djgpr.com/FBfan

You can also become a fan of “Helping David get a job” on Facebook!

Brooke is an expert on diversity PR, a field that stands to grow exponentially in the coming years. I’ve had several opportunities to work with her and have always enjoyed the experience.

Be sure to check out the comments for even more about Brooke and her clients.

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I’ve broken the interview into three sections. You can chose what you’re most interested in, or scroll to the bottom to listen to the entire thing. It’s full of great advice and insight. Enjoy!

Part I: Brooke’s background and experience (3:29) <download>

• Helping out communities whose voices aren’t easily heard.
• Giving lower-income residents a voice in city planning.
• Helping underserved areas become self-sufficient.

Part II: Specific strategies and challenges in different communities (7:42) <download>

• Different groups require different strategies–Brooke gives several specific examples.
• Know where your community spends its time.
• Make sure information comes from a source the community trusts.
• Minority groups are communities with unique self-interests and cultures.
• You must know people who are connected in the communities.
• “The color-blind myth”–Equality does not equal sameness.
• Don’t ignore differences–incorporate them.

Part III: Considerations before focusing on diversity PR (in a campaign or as a career) (4:29) <download>

• Make sure you have contacts who understand the specific, local target community–otherwise you risk offending people.
• You need a consultant with an understand of public relations and the community.
• You’ll need to be okay with leaving your comfort zone.
• Be willing to invest time and resources to connect in a real way.
• For individuals interested in a career in diversity PR: If you can find one, joining a diversity firm can help you build connections.
• It’s worth hiring a diversity-specific public relations consultant.

Listen to or download the full interview:

Download the full interview MP3 (15:41)

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For more ideas about reaching Hispanic audiences, Brooke recommends the free Idea Hall Hispanic Market Resource Guide.

Like this post? Tweet it! And don’t forget to subscribe or come back tomorrow, because I’m posting new content every day this month.

Every Thursday this month (and hopefully longer), I’ll feature an interview with a communicator. If you’re at all interested in public relations, writing, publishing, broadcasting, or any other aspect of communications, you won’t want to miss these.

The first interview features my good friend, Dave Schefcik (aka @drschefcik). Dave is an account executive and social media strategist with Coltrin & Associates, a smaller public relations firm, headquartered in New York City. He previously worked for powerhouse Fleishman-Hillard as an intern and as a freelance associate. His clients include tech companies like Ericsson and Smiths Detection and quick service restaurants like Quiznos and Cold Stone.

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Thank you for your time, Dave. First, tell us about what you do at Coltrin & Associates:

I put together public relations plans, craft strategies and form friendships with the media. I also do media pitching and monitoring, as well as edit other people’s work. A lot of the job involves knowing what’s going on in your sector of expertise. If you don’t know what your competitor is doing or about a piece of news or legislation, how can you provide timely public relations counsel for your clients?

What do you like/dislike about your job?

I like that every single day is different. I like that I get to communicate with a vast variety of people. I like having a cause to advance. I like the people I work with. I like writing and suggesting ideas that end up becoming a reality. I like making a difference. I like good, persuasive conversation. And I like New York.

The downside of working at an agency is not having the time to devote to each project and having very little time to get a lot of work done. On the other hand, it teaches you about priorities and that you can really get a lot done in a short amount of time. One of the difficulties of my job is people who have made up their mind before I even talk to them. Another challenge of the job is keeping up with technology. You’re never satisfied with the level of understanding that you have. I also don’t like when the subways are behind schedule.

Now let’s talk about your background and experience before working for Coltrin & Associates: How did you first get started in public relations?

I discovered that I liked public relations in high school when I realized that I could get out of class for organizing things for clubs and organizations. Public relations wasn’t work for me. I went into college knowing I wanted to study PR. I got involved with the PRSSA chapter [he was president] and my student firm. Through that I got involved in a lot of non-profit organizations that gave me great experience in addition to the academics I was learning in class.

My internship launched my interest in agency work. I interned at Fleishman-Hillard’s digital group and worked on clients like Forrester Research and AT&T. That solidified my niche focus in social media and technology.

How did you land your internship with Fleishman-Hillard?

I got the internship through networking, alumni connections, and sending portfolio examples and a writing test–as well as luck and timing.

And how’d you get your job now?

I got my job at Coltrin through the same combination.

What prepared you most for your current position?

Having a wide variety of background experience to build on (journalism, research, building campaigns, writing, etc), topped off with a specific, focused area of expertise.

What prepared you to get the job?

Maintaining a large, yet meaningful, network of people I had met along the way. Not just digital friends, but people I had worked with and created relationships of value with.

What advice do you have for people looking for entry-level jobs in public relations?

Maintain a meaningful network. Network with public relations professionals, as well as people outside public relations. PR can be applied to every field, and you’ll be surprised about the opportunities that are out there beyond just in agencies. Connect with alumni and friends along the way. Stay actively involved in classes, campaigns and non-profits. That way you’ll be able to submit current examples demonstrating your communications skills.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Keep your resumes and your portfolio current. In terms of staying active, keep on practicing writing. Find a way to use those skills. Become an expert in something—one particular field of public relations, whether it’s corporate, non-profit, financial or tech. Find something that interests you. will let you add unique value, and separates you from the crowd. Not something crazy, but talents that will be seen as valuable by employers and clients.

And, of course, there’s always luck and timing.

Thank you again for sharing your experience and insight.

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For more about Dave, check out the comments section. He’s really a great guy.

If you like this article, tweet it! And don’t forget to subscribe or come back tomorrow, because I’m posting new content every day this month.

Your writing is a muscle: if you don’t keep working it, it gets soft, flabby, and weak. If you want success in the communications field (or most other professional pursuits), you’d better be a strong writer. So how do you measure up? Whether you’re still hesitant or already confident, it’s essential to keep practicing your writing craftsmanship.

With that in mind, let me suggest four ways to flex your writing muscle: read, write, edit, and listen.

Read. You must know what good writing looks like. Don’t just read about good writing, read good writing. Pay attention to what makes a piece interesting, relevant, or unique. If you’re not familiar with good writing, how will you know what your writing needs to become?

Write. Most of my communications friends have some sort of blog. Unfortunately, most of those blogs are updated only occasionally–or not at all. If you’re practicing your writing elsewhere, that’s fine. But if you’re not, you’re giving up valuable experience.

Edit. Perhaps the best thing that ever happened to my writing was editing material by other writers to the Marriott School’s strict standards. Pay attention when you read. Note when you find something wrong, and figure out how you would fix it. Volunteer to look over someone else’s work. Then you’ll be more vigilant with your own writing.

Listen. Seek feedback from anyone, not just other writers. Don’t be fooled into thinking that what you’ve written makes sense before you’ve seriously considered their input. After all, you’re not writing to share your message with yourself; you’re writing to share it with others.

Publishing this could make me seem like I think I’m a great writer. I don’t. This article is my advice to myself. I am trying to take it, however.

If you’re writing, I want to read it; send me a link. This blog is my chance to write; I don’t write enough in my current job. My efforts to edit include helping my friends; let me know if you want an extra set of eyes. And finally, if you have feedback on any of my writing, I’d love to listen; drop me a comment.

CC photo credit: orangeacid