I have professed my affection for Hood River, OR based Full Sail Brewing repeatedly on this blog.  I love the area and having great beer and a great view while there makes it all the better.

In recent months, my 'friends' on Facebook have grown significantly as has the frequency of my visits (part of a broader trend?)  While tinkering with the Groups capability I decided to search on my favorite brewski and lo and behold there were similar fans that had already set up a group.  That group grew to over 100 people from all over but, curiously, no one from the company.   

Just today, I got a message from this group sent by a Full Sail employee.  He found the group and wanted to know if we wanted to hear from him/them about what is going on.  The response back (apparently) was overwhelming.  His approach was real and authentic.

So, why am I sharing this?

This group of fans/loyal customers grew organically meaning we all found each other having one thing in common – a love of their beer.  We had no incentive to join and really expected nothing in return.

This is how you can use Facebook as part of a marketing plan.  The difficult thing to get your head around is that it can't be done artifically or with one-way marketing techniques.  The forum is dynamic and collaborative and if it loses its authenticity either from the participants or the company, people will bristle and it will stagnate quickly. 

Folks are already weighing in on the nature and frequency of the messages being sent.  They are actually telling the company how to market to them.  Very cool.