Harpole's Lodge - A Case Study

Harpole's Lodge - A Case Study

Let’s face it - Everyone is on Facebook these days and most pages are just interesting enough to catch your attention for 15 seconds.  Every once in a while, however, I run into a page that is truly well done and yielding real results for the business.  That is the case for Harpole's Heartland Lodge.  I was so impressed with the page that I asked the owner, Gary, if he could explain some of his experiences, successes and challenges as part of a case study for this blog. 

In May, Harpole’s had 2,900 Facebook fans.  They now have almost 40,000.  Facebook is the number one referral source leading people to Harpole’s website.  The owner told me that while he has had the Facebook page for several years, he was inspired by the “Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising,” a book that provides real world, useful tips and tricks for successfully advertising through Facebook.

Gary explained that Facebook marketing is “front porch marketing.”  Imagine you are walking on the sidewalk and notice a friend having a conversation on a neighbor’s front porch.  They look like they are having a good time so you join in.  A few minutes later, a coworker is taking a walk and notices you having a great time on the porch.  Desiring to be part of the fun, they join in as well.  This is how Facebook marketing works... You may not go for your walk intending to wind up on that porch, but you get drawn in by something that interests you.  Gary used front porch marketing to attract new likes and to turn those likes into customers. 

He also used promotions to generate new likes and gain viral exposure.  This has been tremendously successful.  Gary is currently running a promotion where you upload your favorite outdoors/nature photo for a chance to win a gift certificate.  If your photo receives the most votes, it wins the gift certificate.  This type of promotion is tremendously valuable.  First, entrants benefit because they could possibly win gift certificate.  They also get to share a photo with a large group (something we know FBers love!).  Harpole’s benefits every time someone adds a photo because that person will encourage their friend to vote for their photo.  When a friend goes to vote for the photo, they see beautiful pictures of Harpole’s and hundreds of great reviews.  Now, not only might the entrant consider visiting Harpole’s, their friend may as well.  Asking for outdoor photos also helps preselect the people who visit the page.  If you have great outdoorsy photos, you are probably into the great outdoors…and thus would be a prime customer for Harpole’s.

Ads have also helped grow the page and bring in new customers.  I found Harpole’s from an ad, and I trust several thousand others have as well.  The ad I clicked on was obviously targeted to me.  It showed a lovely looking photo of the lodge and mentioned a “getaway.”  I live an hour and half away from the lodge, am married, and list “travel” as one of my interests.  By using this information to target me, Harpole’s delivered exactly the type of ad I would be interested in seeing.  It’s also of note that this ad showed up right before Labor Day, when people are traditionally looking for a “getaway.”  Targeted ads allow you to spend your money in the right places.  Think of the different people who might use your product/service.  Think of who they are.  What they want.  Ask yourself where they live?  What are their interests?  How old are they?  The more you know about them, the better you can target your ad.

I hope some of these tips are valuable in growing your own Facebook page.  I think the real takeaway message here is the same whether you are marketing a resort or an association…As Gary put it…Don’t try and sell people something.  Instead, provide them with something they will enjoy.

 -Nicole P