Enjoyable Brand Pages on Facebook

I follow a lot of pages on Facebook. My pages are an odd mix of personal interests (tech, fashion, food), brands I had to "like" in order to enter a sweepstakes (yes, I'm a sucker like that), companies I've worked or volunteered for, and friend's companies.

Most of the companies I follow update their pages rarely, if at all. Some of them post only when something noteworthy happens within the company. And then there are the rare few that post frequently and awesomely.

Here are a few that stand out in my news feed:

Pepto-Bismol posts these hilarious one-liners that are usually timely and culturally relevant (but sometimes just totally random). For example, during March Madness they wrote, "On this game day, if you overindulge, ask not what you can do for Pepto -- ask what Pepto can do for you." I think for a potentially awkward brand that doesn't have much content to share, they're doing a great job of of being engaging and funny.

This one's a little bit nostalgic for me. I've been a Jones Soda fan since high school (which was decidedly pre-Facebook), but they've really taken social media in stride and used it as another way to connect with their already enthusiastic fan base. They've always had a very hands-off, organic method of marketing that appeals to a generation that's totally jaded when it comes to advertising. On their Facebook page, they sometimes ask questions as basic as, "How was your weekend?" and get hundreds of responses. I think what I love most about their page is the complete lack of gimmicks. It's very authentic and transparent, and it's clear that whoever runs the page loves the company as much as it's fans do.

Rent The Runway is a fabulous company that allows you to rent designer dresses for a fraction of the price and then return them a couple days later. They post fashion news, celebrity gossip, company news, promotions, etc. Pretty standard fare, but I guess what I like about it is that everything is relevant to the interests of their readers and not overly sales-y. My favorite part about their page is that they allow users to upload pictures of themselves in the dresses they rented. It's fun to see real girls wearing these gorgeous designer dresses, and certainly gets me thinking about the next occasion I might have to rent a dress...

The Museum of the City of New York puts up photos of its artifacts, which is cool in and of itself, but they also do really entertaining posts like a "Friday Mystery Image" competition, and timely posts like an Elizabeth Taylor paper doll on the day she passed away.

Oh boy, cat's out of the bag. I'm a geek. I am super excited about Game of Thrones, and that's in no small part due to their excellent marketing tactics. From their Facebook page, I found out that they're at Wondercon today and allowing people to sit in the Iron Throne. So jealous. They also use their page for posting wallpapers and posters, notifying people of where their Tom Colicchio food truck will be (!), posting loads of video, and promoting their game "The Maester's Path." A very good campaign overall, and excellent use of Facebook.


It's worth noting that none of these companies had to "trick" me into liking their pages using sweepstakes or exclusive content. The Pepto-Bismol page was actually recommended to me by a non-marketing friend - just a random consumer who thought it was hilarious. The others I either sought out, or liked because I follow the brand's other outlets and wanted to keep up with them on Facebook also. The way I see it, the takeaway is simple. Make sure your fans know you're on Facebook, and provide your followers with interesting, timely, relevant content every day.

What are your favorite brands to follow? And I'm not just talking about brands that have done big, fancy Facebook campaigns - I'm talking about the brands that you actually enjoy hearing from every day in your news feed.