1SaleADay.com Builds Facebook Base by 30% in Under a Month by Treating Fans as Friends, Not Numbers

NEW YORK, April 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- 1SaleADay.com, home to the largest independently owned daily deal website, today announced it has grown its Facebook fan base by over 25,000 people in less than four weeks.  As company executives reveal, the company's secret for Facebook success is remarkably simple to grasp, yet rigorous in its execution: treat its fan base as personal friends.

"A lot of 'big box' companies run social media-based promotions.  What we noticed, however, was that they don't really interact with the participants on a regular basis," said Eli Federman, Vice President, 1SaleADay LLC.  "Our position is to do the complete opposite.  If we run a contest you will see us commenting back, posting on fan comments, and really taking the time to interact—and our friends respond in an open, trusting manner.  Instead of 'Customer 28,654', we know that we're connecting with Maureen, a dedicated mother to her eight-year-old daughter Olivia who asks her mommy to check the page 100 times a day to see if her contest entry won.  We value that kind of relationship very highly."

1SaleADay, which offers one daily deal in five categories at 75 to 95 percent off retail prices, sells more of one item in a single day than other major e-tailers who often sell thousands of SKUs.  The company's immense buying power, coupled with its reputation for passing along the savings to the consumer, results in more than 400,000 visits every day.  According to Federman, 1SaleADay's Facebook presence enables the company to build a one-to-one personality that transcends the basics of the deal—and makes it that much more engaging with its fan base.

"Yes, we offer a presence to our customers, but we want them to know we will never treat them like just another number.  We depend on them and they should know that's how we feel.  Facebook lets us communicate that message," he said.  "We recently posted a status explaining that we would give $1.00 to charity for every 'Like'.  Within a few hours we received over 1,900 'Likes'.  This was not a promotion to sell our product but simply a small way to engage fans by allowing them to feel connected to the company's philanthropic mission."  

Federman recalled how expressing sincere concern for the devastation in Japan gave the company's Facebook friends a chance to share.  "After the tsunami hit we posted a status reflecting on the tragedy and offering our prayers and support," he stated.  "We received dozens of comments from fans who appreciated the fact that we took time out of our day to reflect on current events instead of just promoting our products.  What's more, they gave ideas on how we, as well as the 1SaleADay community, could respond, which meant a lot to us."

1SaleADay's Director of Marketing, Ryan Meserole, believes that for true community to take place between a company and its customers, it takes more than one or two employees to serve as its designated "Facebook voice."  "We promote Facebook among our employees.  In fact our employees interact with customers on our Facebook page the way they do with their friends.  There's very little marketing motive—although it certainly translates to growing our business," Meserole noted.  "In most companies, if an employee is seen on Facebook they are going to get written up.  At 1SaleADay you're going to get a pat on the back."

With so many companies attempting to grow their business by embracing social media, 1SaleADay has found that the solution is to be counterintuitive.  Instead of putting business first, it's essential to treat Facebook and similar social venues as places for conversation, for fun, and for allowing users to interact with one another.

"We try to remember why those folks became fans of ours to begin with.  We remain relevant in what content we provide and don't try to overwhelm our Facebook friends," Federman states.  "We don't ever want to lose the organic nature of what we do.  We think as long as we can keep providing the type of social experience we do, we will continue to see our fan numbers increase week after week.  

"It's contagious watching the page evolve, seeing the 'Likes' continue to grow day after day," he continued.  "We think big here at 1SaleADay.com, and I think it's safe to say we will not be truly happy with our efforts until every single Facebook user out there has liked us."

About 1SaleADay.com:

1SaleADay.com offers the deepest discounts online, with a new deal posted every day at 12 midnight EDT. With Deals of the Day in five categories, including Electronics, Wireless, Watch, Family and Jewelry, 1SaleADay leverages its global buying power to offer discounts up to 95% off retail prices. Headquartered in New York, 1SaleADay.com is part of a family of discount retailers that includes BensOultet.com, Shadora.com, DynamiteTime.com and GlassesUnlimited.com.  1SaleADay.com is Better Business Bureau accredited with an "A" rating. For more information, visit, www.1SaleADay.com.

SOURCE 1SaleADay.com