Why Should a Company Have a Facebook Application?

Facebook is the epitome of modern social networking. Connecting and engaging with people through a virtual world has never been easier. Before Facebook we had MSN messenger, Yahoo messenger, IRC chat rooms, Orkut, My Space, and forums, but Facebook revolutionized the concept of connecting with people. The success is phenomenal, the rush is obvious, and the opportunities are endless. This forces organizations, companies, brands and businesses to rethink and revise their strategies to approach and engage with their audience.

Every feature added to Facebook is designed to entertain and connect while giving businesses a boost in leads and sales. One such feature on the Facebook page is adding “applications”. The benefits of using Facebook apps are several; top of mind brand awareness, user engagement and increased customer base are few of these benefits. Apps, short for applications, are extremely versatile. Depending upon your business, you can choose which kind of application to develop.

Ever heard of the self-determination theory? In the 1970s, psychologists Richard Ryan and Edward Deci explained how intrinsic and extrinsic motivators urge people to get things done. Today the same principles are coming in to play with online social networking. Facebook applications are a great example of their three-step model. Sounding too scientific? Let us break it down for you:

  • Autonomy. Facebook applications give your fans the option to make a meaningful choice. Your page is no longer a ground for brand information, but a platform where your fans can interact with you. Empowering your customers through apps is a great way of gaining their loyalty. Also, Facebook apps can be used to convert these fans into leads because applications can easily collect contact information through forms that may have been boring otherwise

 

  • Competence. Facebook apps are a fun way of providing feedback to your fans. They are a way of showing your fans that you appreciate their opinions about your product. Through applications, companies can also give their customers virtual or tangible rewards for their efforts. Apps, if designed well, can help promote your brand’s sincerity to its fans. The more positive feedback your fans receive from you, the higher the chances will be of them referring you to their friends

 

  • Relatedness. Content on your social page should be directly related to your customers needs and wants. Content marketing is the “in-thing” for 2013, but more of that later. What you need to focus on is that you observe the trends and lifestyles of your customers closely and identify what makes them tick. Facebook applications are a marvelous way of presenting your brand as a human being to your customer helping him relate to your company in a more emotional way. Increased relatedness equals increased effectiveness which in turn equals increased reach

 
Facebook applications are share-able. When you engage your current customers in an app, their performance gets automatically posted on their Timelines in the “app” section and consequently appears in their friends’ News Feeds. This increases your reach and gives you a better chance of spreading the word among your prospective customers. Fans who are already engaged in your application act as brand advocates and influencers for your product which adds another plus to your marketing strategy.

In conclusion, Facebook apps can help you reach out effectively to your audience if they employ the simple steps listed above. Facebook applications can empower your customers without spending a lot of marketing budget on execution. They can give regular feedback to your customers so that they are intrinsically motivated to stay connected with your products and spread the word about it in their social circles. Furthermore, relative content can grab their attention and through Facebook applications, they can become better aware of how genuine your brand promise is. So what’s holding you back? If you want us to develop an engaging app for you, let us know here.

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