Facebook|NNP Fans|NNS :|: You|PRP Get|VBP What|WP You|PRP Pay|NN For|IN 24|CD Mar|NNP 2010|CD by|IN Rick|NNP Take|VB a|DT look|NN at|IN the|DT Facebook|NNP Fan|NNP Pages|NNP of|IN some|DT brands|NNS and|CC what|WP you|PRP see|VBP is|VBZ not|RB a|DT pretty|JJ picture|NN .|. 
Oh|UH ,|, the|DT numbers|NNS look|VBP good|JJ ,|, but|CC when|WRB you|PRP dig|NN a|DT little|JJ deeper|JJR a|DT different|JJ picture|NN emerges|VBZ .|. 
Walls|NNP filled|VBD with|IN off|IN topic|NN conversations|NNS at|IN best|JJS ,|, vile|NN language|NN and|CC real|JJ antipathy|NN for|IN the|DT brand|NN at|IN worst|JJS .|. 
What|WP happened|VBD ?|. 
Was|VBD n't|RB having|VBG thousands|NNS of|IN fans|NNS supposed|VBN to|TO be|VB a|DT good|JJ thing|NN ?|. 

Well|RB ,|, yes|UH and|CC no|UH .|. 
Sure|RB ,|, it|PRP 's|VBZ great|JJ having|VBG several|JJ hundred|CD thousands|NNS fans|NNS .|. 
But|CC how|WRB did|VBD you|PRP come|VBP to|TO get|VB those|DT fans|NNS ?|. 
Did|VBD you|PRP earn|VBP them|PRP through|IN fantastic|JJ customer|NN service|NN ,|, fulfilling|VBG the|DT brand|NN promise|NN ,|, providing|VBG value|NN to|TO the|DT community|NN in|IN an|DT authentic|JJ and|CC passionate|JJ voice|NN ,|, or|CC did|VBD you|PRP run|VBP a|DT Facebook|NNP ad|NN campaign|NN and|CC hit|VBD the|DT broadcast|NN airwaves|NNS with|IN a|DT promotion|NN ?|. 

Let|VB 's|POS look|VB at|IN my|PRP$ old|JJ favorite|NN ,|, TGI|NNP Friday|NNP 's|POS :|: 
If|IN you|PRP can|MD see|VB this|DT ,|, then|RB you|PRP might|MD need|VB a|DT Flash|NNP Player|NNP upgrade|NN or|CC you|PRP need|VBP to|TO install|VB Flash|NNP Player|NNP if|IN it|PRP 's|VBZ missing|VBG .|. 
Get|VB Flash|NNP Player|NNP from|IN Adobe|NNP .|. 

Remember|VB that|DT ad|NN ?|. 
Pretty|NNP cool|VB ,|, right|NN ?|. 
In|IN fact|NN ,|, as|IN I|PRP recall|VBP ,|, they|PRP got|VBD over|IN 1|CD million|CD Facebook|NNP fans|NNS .|. 
Google|NNP TGI|NNP Friday|NNP 's|POS Fan|NNP Woody|NNP and|CC it|PRP looks|VBZ pretty|RB good|JJ .|. 

But|CC then|RB something|NN not|RB so|RB awesome|JJ happened|VBD .|. 
All|DT those|DT fans|NNS wanted|VBD their|PRP$ free|JJ burgers|NNS and|CC they|PRP wanted|VBD them|PRP now|RB !|. 
TGI|NNP Friday|NNP 's|POS completely|RB lost|VBD control|NN of|IN the|DT page|NN and|CC eventually|RB doled|VBD out|RP a|DT lot|NN of|IN free|JJ burgers|NNS .|. 
Now|RB from|IN a|DT short|JJ term|NN perspective|NN I|PRP 'm|VBP sure|JJ they|PRP did|VBD ok|JJ on|IN the|DT deal|NN .|. 
People|NNS came|VBD in|IN and|CC ate|VBD their|PRP$ food|NN .|. 
But|CC they|PRP could|MD have|VB accomplished|VBN that|IN with|IN coupons|NNS in|IN the|DT mail|NN ,|, the|DT newspaper|NN or|CC by|IN an|DT email|NN list|NN .|. 
But|CC they|PRP decided|VBD to|TO go|VB the|DT Social|NNP Media|NNP route|NN .|. 

Now|RB ,|, let|VB 's|POS take|VB a|DT look|NN at|IN what|WP the|DT Friday|NNP 's|POS FanWoody|NNP Facebook|NNP page|NN looks|VBZ like|IN today|NN :|: 
Whoops|NNP !|. 
It|PRP 's|VBZ gone|VBN .|. 

Apparently|RB Woody|NNP and|CC his|PRP$ 900,000|CD +|NN fans|NNS went|VBD poof|NN .|. 
How|WRB come|VB ?|. 
I|PRP 'm|VBP guessing|VBG it|PRP had|VBD something|NN to|TO do|VB with|IN the|DT venom|NN and|CC general|JJ anarchy|NN the|DT page|NN had|VBD created|VBN by|IN buying|VBG fans|NNS rather|RB than|IN growing|VBG them|PRP .|. 
A|DT TGI|NNP Friday|NNP 's|POS Facebook|NNP page|NN does|VBZ exist|VB ,|, with|IN roughly|RB a|DT third|JJ of|IN the|DT fans|NNS they|PRP used|VBD to|TO have|VB .|. 
TGI|NNP Friday|NNP 's|POS pretty|RB much|RB had|VBD to|TO spray|NN Agent|NNP Orange|NNP on|IN their|PRP$ relationship|NN with|IN 600,000|CD people|NNS .|. 

It|PRP 's|VBZ easy|JJ to|TO pick|VB on|IN TGI|NNP Friday|NNP 's|POS but|CC they|PRP certainly|RB are|VBP n't|RB the|DT only|RB guilty|JJ party|NN .|. 
I|PRP think|VBP plenty|NN of|IN brands|NNS have|VBP heard|VBN the|DT siren|NN call|NN of|IN Facebook|NNP ads|NNS .|. 
The|DT ability|NN to|TO target|VB your|PRP$ demo|NN is|VBZ really|RB terrific|JJ ,|, but|CC you|PRP 're|VBP in|IN danger|NN of|IN creating|VBG a|DT relationship|NN with|IN fans|NNS that|WDT ultimately|RB is|VBZ built|VBN on|IN a|DT "|'' what|WP have|VBP you|PRP done|VBN for|IN me|PRP lately|RB "|'' foundation|NN .|. 

First|CD ,|, you|PRP essentially|RB bought|VBD these|DT fans|NNS .|. 
You|PRP paid|VBD Facebook|NNP for|IN the|DT right|NN to|TO target|VB them|PRP .|. 
Then|RB in|IN the|DT case|NN of|IN TGI|NNP Friday|NNP 's|POS or|CC other|JJ brands|NNS that|WDT offer|NN free|JJ product|NN or|CC discount|NN coupons|NNS ,|, you|PRP are|VBP essentially|RB buying|VBG them|PRP again|RB .|. 
This|DT sets|NNS up|RP a|DT pattern|NN where|WRB the|DT consumer|NN now|RB expects|VBZ to|TO be|VB rewarded|VBN for|IN being|VBG your|PRP$ fan|NN with|IN a|DT tangible|JJ item|NN ,|, that|WDT is|VBZ ,|, free|JJ stuff|NN .|. 
That|DT 's|VBZ not|RB a|DT bonus|NN item|NN ,|, it|PRP 's|VBZ now|RB a|DT standard|JJ part|NN of|IN the|DT agreement|NN .|. 
Want|NNP me|PRP as|IN a|DT fan|NN ?|. 
Give|VB me|PRP free|JJ stuff|NN .|. 

The|DT point|NN of|IN Social|NNP Media|NNP is|VBZ n't|RB to|TO distribute|VB coupons|NNS and|CC a|DT real|JJ fan|NN wants|VBZ to|TO engage|VB with|IN a|DT brand|NN for|IN a|DT whole|JJ host|NN of|IN reasons|NNS ,|, often|RB free|JJ /|NN discounted|VBD product|NN is|VBZ the|DT least|JJS of|IN these|DT reasons|NNS .|. 
I|PRP 'm|VBP not|RB saying|VBG that|IN special|JJ bonuses|NNS ,|, or|CC '|POS surprise|NN and|CC delight|NN '|'' offers|NNS are|VBP n't|RB ever|RB a|DT good|JJ thing|NN .|. 
I|PRP think|VBP when|WRB used|VBN properly|RB they|PRP can|MD be|VB terrific|JJ .|. 
What|WP do|VBP I|PRP mean|VBP by|IN used|VBN properly|RB ?|. 
As|IN a|DT reward|NN for|IN people|NNS who|WP have|VBP engaged|VBN with|IN the|DT brand|NN in|IN a|DT meaningful|JJ way|NN .|. 
Send|VB us|PRP a|DT picture|NN of|IN you|PRP wearing|VBG a|DT brand|NN t-shirt|JJ and|CC sure|JJ ,|, you|PRP 've|VBP earned|VBN a|DT free|JJ sandwich|NN .|. 
Recruit|NNP some|DT friends|NNS and|CC I|PRP 'm|VBP happy|JJ to|TO give|VB you|PRP all|DT some|DT coupons|NNS .|. 
But|CC when|WRB fans|NNS enter|VBP the|DT relationship|NN feeling|NN they|PRP are|VBP entitled|VBN to|TO free|JJ samples|NNS and|CC you|PRP 're|VBP in|IN trouble|NN .|. 

Kathy|NNP Sharpe|NNP says|VBZ :|: April|NNP 18|CD ,|, 2010|CD at|IN 1:02|NN pm|NN 
About|IN time|NN there|EX was|VBD some|DT acknowledgement|NN of|IN the|DT true|JJ value|NN of|IN fans|NNS .|. 
Even|RB if|IN you|PRP have|VBP 3|CD million|CD +|NN fans|NNS and|CC they|PRP are|VBP all|DT well|RB behaved|VBN citizens|NNS what|WP is|VBZ the|DT real|JJ marketing|NN value|NN ?|. 

