We've just launched a new website for The Olive Pip, a cute wee coffee shop in Glasgow, just behind the Scottish Exhibition Centre.

The brief was to design a website that made people feel like the owners were sharing their home and food with customers.

As since the owners are hands on busy people we had to make the site manageable from a mobile phone.

The concept is simple. Each day the staff would write on the blackboard what Today's Specials are. Then snap the blackboard on their iPhone and upload to the website; via the Flickr iPhone app.

In addition, they could post photos to their Facebook page and the photos would appear on the website.

Quite simply we are synchronising the website with Facebook to share and spread the message about The Olive Pip.

The concept was conceived by Platonik, designed and coded by Barry McGee, photography by Andy Johnstone and  managed by Platonik's online business platform.

So if you are a local business and you are wondering "who moved my customers" and how do I connect with them and their friends, this is the concept is definitely the way to go.

Good luck girls :)

I tested out Facebook about 6 weeks ago as a form of generating leads.

The Idea

Target "marketing" people in the UK
Spend £100

How to Run a Campaign

Since I didn't know these people from larry, I thought I would offer them a free ebook. I called the ebook "Website Not Working" which offered 10 tips on making your website work better for you.

Facebook Page

I created a Facebook business page. I put together some case studies with the photo module, I added in a video tab and I created a lead generation form under a new tab called "Free eBook"



This form tab uses the FBML module within Facebook.

Creating the Advert and Traffic

I visited the Advert Manager and confirmed my paypal account details for billing. You have 2 options; direct traffic to your facebook page or your website

Give your campaign a title

Give your advert an attention grabbing headline for the audience you are targeting.
Design a little graphic.
Give the advert body copy text.

Targeting

Then go through and select who you are targeting

Budget and campaign duration

Decide what you'll pay and how long the campaign will run for.

Results

Look at the screenshot below. I tried 2 different campaigns. One campaign was a negatively theme advert aimed at our facebook page. Another campaign was a positively themed advert aimed at our site. The latter worked much better. A much better click through rate and , from the 116 clicks, just shy of 20% of people signed up for the free eBook.



But

I didn't just finish the campaign there. Nope, every person that signed up and received the eBook, got an email reminder every week about the tips in the ebook which allowed me to explain a little bit more about the online business platform we have.



Now Facebook isn't really a business to business advertising resource, I think it's much more geared towards consumer products and services.

These entire campaigns can be built using Platonik's online business solution, Facebook and a springle of imagination to grab people's attention.

A short video showing you how to add an Adobe Business Catalyst web form to a Facebook company page using the FBML application; especially for people who want to start leveraging their friend base.

Growing a business sure is one roller coaster ride. Sometimes work just pops up out of nowhere. Just when we thought we needed to advertise, telephone, make more personal visits, more work comes in.

And we get it now.

"People are wired to do what other people are doing"

Yes, all business is effectively referral. Do one piece of good work and the customer tells their friends about it.

I know it sounds cliche. But how else can you explain over 23 million people in the UK registered on Facebook ?



Or how can you explain the 184, 900 UK women who like Vodka Redbull ?



This "wiring" should form part of how you start and grow your business.

If you are fascinated by people, brands, marketing, business, I want you to try this.

Think of 3 things your wife, son, daughter or friend is really, really into.

Then go to Facebook Page Statistics and find out how Popular or unpopular they are.

Here's 3 things my 9 year old son is really into :



Oh, I know, you don't have a clue what these 3 things are. That doesn't matter. What matters is that there is a tiny little niche of people who like these 3 things.

And guess what, you only need 10 people to get your thing started. And you only need to turn a small number of fans  into paying customers to live.

And Hugh provides you with a business model and source of motivation.

Just 10 to start, go on.