Free software trials for Facebook fans shows how social media is connecting with sales campaigns

The decision by computer security firm McAfee to release a six-month free trial of its software to any Facebook user who becomes a fan of its official page has been met with mixed reaction from experts and has provided another example of the way companies are attempting to tie social media directly to sales efforts.

But companies have been warned to make sure their offers to social media followers are truly unique if they really want to generate buzz.

Sitepoint technical director Kevin Yank says the McAffee offer isn’t necessarily the biggest draw card the company could have used, and suggests businesses should think up more unique deals.

“This seems like the sort of thing they’d be willing to give away before, because free trials for antivirus software are not unprecedented at all. To be honest, I’m not impressed by the value of that offer.”

But Yank also says the idea of offering an exclusive benefit to social media fans is an incentive used by many businesses, and is a good example for SMEs looking to get into the social media space.

“If you can paint what you’re offering as something exclusive, what you’re offering is something new and something that will draw people in.”

And while Yank says the McAfee offer wasn’t necessarily the most interesting giveaway, he also says it demonstrates the company’s ability to put a new spin on an old technique.

While he suggests SMEs hesitant to enter the social media space should think up new ideas and strategies, he also recommends thinking of how existing offers can be refreshed.

“Giving something away for free isn’t new, but giving it away on a Facebook page might be. Don’t feel like you have to come up with something completely new, often social networking can just be an added element to what you’re already doing.”

James Griffin, founder and chief executive of online reputation firm SR7, says McAfee’s offer is one of the latest examples of all sizes of businesses treating social media as an extension of their marketing campaigns.

“I think departments are really starting to engage with people online, and it’s really gone beyond just getting a bunch of clicks for you to get fans on your page. Businesses are now saying if you sign up, or become a friend of whatever, we’ll provide you with an incentive.”

Griffin also says businesses need to take an active role in their social media campaigns and view their pages or accounts as extensions of the business, rather than just an inactive advertisement.

“There is a lazy way to go about social networking, and then there is the thought-out way, which is what businesses need to be doing. As opposed to a lot of other campaigns which are fairly simple and “wait and see”, doing something as simple as giving an exclusive offer is a really good step forward.”

Facebook said in a statement that after the six-month trial is over, users could be given the option to extend the software with discounted subscriptions – but denied any revenue would be gained from the project.

“We think we’ve developed an excellent model for this collaboration, and to ensure the greatest possible value to our users, Facebook will not accept any revenue from subscriptions,” Elliot Schrage, Facebook vice president of global communications, marketing and public policy said in a statement. “We hope this is something that other services will emulate.”