$100 = 2500 fans
Earlier this week my brother was expressing to me his concern that the Omaha Fire Fighters were going to lose some much needed equipment, potentially be reduced in staff, and all because they couldn't afford to get their side of the issues out. So, what did I do? We started a facebook fan page for them called We Support Omaha Fire Fighters. It was my first launch of a cause driven site and has done very well in its first week.
The goal of the site was not just to get a bunch of "fans" for the cause. As this seems to be relatively easy on Facebook right now. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of people that will "fan" something, especially a cause they are familar with. The goal of our site is to actually get engagement on the site. We want people to really show their support by writing on the wall, uploading pictures and video, and generally egaging in the conversation.
So how did we start. We built a custom webiste that included a nice profile picture, compelling bio and info section, and custom tabs around 2 key issues, 4 men on a truck and the budget. We then purchased $100 in targeted advertising on facebook. We set a public goal to get to 911 fans, and accomplished this in less than 2 days. We then reset this goal to 9111 fans. In less than 1 week we are at 2700 fans and climbing.
We also started 2 regular posts, Stop Drop and Roll and Fill the Boot. These posts were designed to remind people to suggest the page to their friends and engage on our wall to show their support. This regular update seems to continue to grow the 'fan' base and regular engagement. We are hoping to get to 9111 'fans' and 911 engagements/day soon.
So wha't next? We think we can use this site to communicate important things going on at the Omaha Fire Department as well as introduce fun ways to engage our fans. We plan to interview fire fighters, fans, and people that have been 'saved' by an Omaha Fire Fighter. Let us know what you think by posting your comments on http://www.facebook.com/wesupportomahafirefighters
Stay Safe