Free $100 Facebook Ads Credits - Just add the Visa Business App

Just read an article in Mashable that Visa Partnered with Facebook to offer small business owners who sign up with them with $100 in facebook ad credits, so I figured "hey, let's see if this actually works?"... So I added the VISA app - and who knew, but I received an email from facebook telling me how to get my coupon! Sweet!

The question is, what do you do with $100 in facebook credits?

First off, I've been playing around with facebook ads for a little while. First thing I did was watch what everyone else is putting on facebook ads, and seeing what lasts. The rule of thumb about advertising - even in new markets, is that advertising that's working continues runnning. Not always true, but you need deep pockets if it's not working!

Unfortunately, in my demo, the most common facebook ad is a dating one. So I tried seeing what the response for a dating ad would be - using an affiliate program. Facebook nixed it, so I didn't bother trying to get it approved again.

I tried a financial one, which unofficially has been getting no clicks, but I am getting credit for leads coming in, so I assume it works - which is nice not to get charged for clicks and still get them

That's been a little of an aside. It seems that the goal of the visa / facebook partnership is to push the platform as one that is optimal for small businesses to use. That being said, it sparked my imagination, and I plan on putting one of my business offers on a facebook page, and then advertising that facebook page...

Thanks for the $100 bucks guys - I do plan to use it :)

Microsoft's Zune - social???

I just bought a Zune. Why, you ask? Well, two reasons:

1) I was in the mood of a high end mp3 player - and was going to get the ipod - except that Fry's didn't carry them

2) I kind of hate Apple. The "we're the best in the world", so we can charge a premium, lock out other manufacturer's, and keep the price of our hardware stupidly expensive just pisses me off...

Just to spite myself - I was going to get the Ipod. Unfortunately for Apple, Fry's isn't an Apple reseller, so the zune it is.

I have to say the zune isn't a bad piece. Their dial, while not as intuitive as Apple's, is absolutely amazing from a Microsoft product (their UI's always suck)!

So I'm looking at my zune, and I realized that they're really trying to stress the social element of the zune... Their tagline is "welcome to the social"... Huh? This is microsoft making a sad attempt to get into the social scene?

I mean adoption of the Zune is pathetic compared to the other players on the market - and yeah, the wifi sharing with friends is cool - but c'mon; it's not in the advertising, and microsoft's sad attempt at making the zune a software a social medium is exactly that.

Here are a couple of suggestions for you guys at Microsoft:

1) Make a Facebook (and Open social) App revolving around the zune... Heck, buy out the rest of Facebook - we know you want facebook. You're live spaces just sucks.

2) Add the ability to import your friends from other places in the zune interface... Oh, and make it easy for friends to buy the zune as well.

3) Explain in your advertising that the idea of the zune is social??? I mean, that could have been a major competitive advantage. The Ipod (even the touch with their wifi) doesn't really create an interactive community around music. We know that the concept of music as a way of connecting people works... Think Myspace, Bebo etc. There's also no-one that integrates with mobile players like the Zune does.

Sorry Microsoft, that was a brilliant concept, but in my marketing books, you've gotten yourself a "C" on the zune "social" concept.

David Jaeger is an online marketing consultant in Los Angeles focusing on search engine and social marketing.