While searching sites focused on social media marketing, I came across an interesting article on Social Media Today titled "4 Lessons in Fan Engagement from Red Lobster's Facebook Page."  This title seemed to jump out of me because of the company, Red Lobster, that this article was written about. Maybe it is because I have never been a regular Red Lobster customer that I haven't seen much of it on social media sites, but I would not have expected Red Lobster to be a company with exceptional branding on social media networks.  However, after reading the article I completely agree with its' efforts and techniques for engaging fans and adding traffic to their Facebook page.
       As noted in the article, the four things Red Lobster seems to be doing right are their "LobStar of the Week" contest, the ability to buy eGift Cards and share/send them to friends via Facebook, filling their Facebook page with photos and descriptions of their food, and constantly engaging and talking to fans. As a Facebook user, I believe each of these are important lessons for other brands to consider. Their "LobStar of the Week" gets fans involved and gets more people to view the page by having their friends go to the page to like the photo. Selling eGift Cards provides a convenience for customers and advertises the brand when friends share it on their friends' walls. The delicious, well plated menu items is exactly what I expect and want to see when I go to a restaurant's page and no doubt entices me to go there. And finally, their constant communication, contests, and updates on the company gives fans a greater connection and relationship with the brand that will keep them going.
       After reading the article and taking note of all of the lessons for other brands, I immediately went to Red Lobster's Facebook page to see if it was as well kept as it sounded, and it was! It was everything that you want to see in any restaurant or any business' Facebook page. It pulls fans and friends in, when they go to vote for their friends' pictures, without being completely in your face. And for those, like me, that don't typically think about going to Red Lobster for dinner, this page will change their mind once they see the pictures that cover the wall. The page provides an intriguing aspect of contests that will keep customers coming through to try and win more, but all in a subtle, simple and well organized way.  I agree with the the author of this article, other businesses can definitely learn from the marketing of Red Lobster's Facebook page.
       Another thing that I came across multiple times while navigating through different socially media sites that I found interesting was that everyone seemed to be talking about Faceook's new graph search. From the way it is described, it sounds like a search engine like no other that can be extremely useful and help you target things that are more relevant to what you want than what Google or Yahoo may not bring up. It will let you search for friends that like certain things that you do, restaurants your friends like or have checked in at, specific pictures, etc. As one article stated, Facebook likes are going to be important again. They have come to be used loosely and brand builders have not been so concerned with gaining likes. However, the new graph search is going to change the way brand marketers are using Facebook to gain consumers and it will be interesting to see how it changes their marketing efforts.

~Katie