Small fashion retailers need to get a Facebook Timeline app

Fashion retailers that have a Facebook Timeline app have seen increased website traffic.

This is according to the social network's Austin Haugen, who posted a number of success stories of fashion retailers that have effectively used Facebook Open Graph on the Developers page.

The Open Graph encourages sharing. Once a user adds an app to their Timeline, app-specific functions are shared via the Open Graph. As time goes on and usage grows, posts become more prominent in News Feeds, promoting your brand to the app users' social media connections. Three key factors underpin the Open Graph: user, action and object. For example, Rachel Jones (user) bought (action) a red dress from Asos (object).

One brand highlighted is Fab, which is a daily design app. Its membership has climbed from 1.8 million to more than 4.5 million. Between 20 and 40 per cent of its daily traffic comes from Facebook.

Social shopping website Lyst has also enjoyed Facebook success through the use of the Open Graph. Internet users who visit the site from Facebook spend twice as much time on it than other individuals, while the networking site generates more sales than all of the other social media platforms put together.

SMEs should follow the lead of these brands and establish a Facebook Timeline app that can be widely promoted across News Feeds, Timelines and Tickers. However, there are a number of steps you should follow before diving straight in.

Firstly, create as many opportunities as possible for content to be shared. Secondly, use a call to action to encourage your Facebook fans to get your app on their Timeline. This could be showing them which of their connections already have signed in to the app, as well as offering a discount or exclusive feature.

Of course, your small business can have the best app in the world, but if your Facebook brand page as a whole lets you down, the effectiveness of the app will be diluted. ContentPlus recently advised of the benefits of having a Facebook Timeline, as well as how you can make your brand's efforts stand out.

These include an eye-catching large cover photo, integrating your content marketing, such as links to blogs on your website and being as personal and localised as possible.

Further small business social media advice can be found here:

Small businesses should get search savvy and get on Facebook, now!

Innocent tops Social Brands 100 – what can your SME learn from it?