Why the Interest Graph Is a Marketer’s Best Friend

Since the dawn of companies like Twitter, one question has baffled marketers: How do we demonstrate ROI in our social media strategy? For example, we know that Facebook “likes” don’t equal sales. So what’s the alternative?

Enter the interest graph, which offers a new way to develop connections based on what people like, not who they know. The interest graph also gives marketers the chance to demonstrably generate revenue. Here’s how other companies are experimenting in this space and the results.

Enable Opportunities for Social Discovery

People make connections on Facebook for all sorts of reasons, but rarely do they make friends with total strangers based on a shared interest in products and services. The company Step2 is changing that and enhancing the shopping experience by promoting social discovery through their Facebook page. For starters, they allow users to follow individual products and product categories, and get updates directly in their newsfeed. Even better, their “follow a reviewer” feature enables individuals to subscribe to product reviews from someone with similar tastes and preferences.
There’s a social component, and everything is opt in, but it’s also a marketing opportunity that has the potential to directly increase revenue. Step2 uses the interest graph to recommend users to follow, but beyond that, users are connecting in a genuine way based on real interests.

Personalize the On-site Experience

Ever since Facebook released its Open Graph, brands and retailers have had a unique opportunity to learn about the interests of their customers and use this information to serve them compelling, personalized experiences. Amazon.com is one of the best examples of companies currently using the Open Graph. When a customer logs onto Facebook Connect from within Amazon.com, their profile data is pulled so that Amazon can suggest products they might be interested in.
Compare this with the old way of doing things when Amazon made product suggestions based on what you’d already purchased. But what if a user purchased a book about golf for his brother and perfume for his wife? Recommendations based on this information wouldn’t be very engaging. That all changes with the interest graph. Amazon can make sure that the first thing users see are options deeply connected to their personal preferences. It’s a great way to keep users on the site, increase the likelihood of purchase, and generate more revenue — short and long term.

Create Interest-based Communities on Pinterest

Pinterest has quickly become an Internet darling, and it’s particularly valuable for marketers. Pinterest users “like” and pin the things they love. Sometimes that means inspiring images, but more often than not, they pin items they want to buy. There are two key ways that retailers can leverage this as a marketing tool.
For starters, companies should be present on Pinterest and create boards that include pins of their own products and items their customers might be interested in. For example, Diapers.com does a great job of cultivating a strong presence in the Pinterest community. Not only do they post their own content, they develop relationships by liking pins on other users’ boards. Those relationships drive traffic to their own page, increasing awareness about their products and brand.

Modcloth uses Pinterest’s multiple-contributor feature to invite customers to pin their own photos to Modcloth’s pinboards. Paying attention to what other kinds of things inspire your customers can help shape future product development. It also creates a community hub around your brand. So when you want to push new products, you have a captive audience.

Additionally, you can add the “Pin It” button next to products on your website, so that you can track which products your customers are interested in and tailor your marketing messages accordingly. Pinterest offers huge opportunities to customize special offers, online ads, email campaigns and even on-site merchandising according to the interests expressed by users.

Use the Interest Graph to Jump-start Your Online Ad Strategy

There’s no better indication that a user is interested in a product than learning that he or she’s placed it the shopping cart. But what do you with that information? Targeting online ads based on a user’s browsing behavior is a great way to sustain and fuel interest in a product and market related products that individuals are likely to find compelling. When ads are fueled by true, indicated interest, they’re much more likely to resonate and ultimately lead to a sale.
Twitter also provides an ideal environment to serve personalized ads based on what people follow, click on, and tweet about. For example, Virgin America used Twitter’s Promoted Tweets to announce their expansion into Canada, and offered a 50% discount for the first 500 travelers. Due to the highly-targeted distribution of the ad based on users’ declared interest in the airline, the offer sold out in three hours and Virgin experienced its fifth-highest day of sales on record.

Ultimately, when marketers use the interest graph to craft campaigns, it’s a win for both the brand and the consumer. Marketers want to drive revenue, and consumers want to see products that interest them. The personalized web is the way of the future, and the marketers who recognize it will be the ones who lead the future of ecommerce.