For Comedy Central and The Colbert Report, sponsor of this year’s U.S. Olympic Speed Skating Team, the trek of the torch to Whistler, British Columbia brings an opportunity to engage more deeply with their fans.

Colbert and Comedy Central teamed with enter:new media to create a custom Facebook tab to act as the social media headquarters for the show’s “Skate Expectations” campaign.

This custom, updatable application, provides fans access to a curated selection of videos and articles related to the U.S. Speed Skating team, the Winter Olympics and ColbertNation.com. Colbert’s Twitter feed, @StephenAtHome, is woven into the application, affording fans the chance to expand their relationship with the show across social media platforms.

But like all good social platforms, this tab does more than just provide cool content. Fans can show their support for the U.S. Speed Skating team by posting to the page as well as their own profile. Fans can even take their commitment a step further by donating to the team.

Finally the custom tab is designed to easily resize to the new Facebook tab standards being rolled out before the end of the month.

UPDATE: Facebook decided to feature this tab on their “Celebs on Facebook,”  page.

Facebook is rolling out a series of changes that  may require swift action by marketers. The disappearance of the “Boxes” tab, narrowing of custom tabs and discontinuation of iFrame use – all likely by the end of February – leave little time for the modifications that will shape how the social media-using public perceives your brand. Unless you’re sticking to out-of-the-box functionality (which means you’re leaving ROI on the table), you have a little over a month to prepare.

If you’re working with the right agency, there’s  little reason for concern. A partner that has the deep, integrated social media skills necessary to help you market your brand effectively will be able to guide you through these changed features with little disruption. But, companies relying on guerilla tactics and workarounds will likely struggle.

Three Major Changes for Facebook Marketers

Facebook is a dynamic environment, so brand and individual end-users alike should have little expectation of permanence. Beyond redesigns, Facebook will always find ways to tweak functionality and change the user experience, as it seeks opportunities for user, traffic and revenue growth. After all, Facebook’s primary objective is not to be a marketing platform. Rather, it is to bring people together in a way that stimulates interaction … which is what defines a robust, high-value environment for marketing activity.

Unlike individuals, corporate and brand users will need to be able to react swiftly to these new features and constraints, as they have more at stake: changes for which they are unprepared can disrupt the fan experience and impede opportunities to generate revenue.

Facebook is rolling out three substantial modifications that will impact brands using the platform as a marketing tool:

1. The width of custom tabs will shrink from 760px to 520px
2. The Boxes tab will go away
3. iFrames will no loner be supported on Facebook pages

Custom tab width: Applications on custom tabs will lose more than 30 percent of the screen real estate (by width) currently available to them. This will require many Facebook-based marketers to redesign and redevelop custom tab applications currently in production.

Disappearance of Boxes: Applications currently in Boxes will be moved to the space below a user’s profile picture … but there is a more pressing business implication. Brand and corporate Facebook users will no longer be able to use Boxes as a home for free promotions.

No more iFrames on pages: Only FBML will be supported for custom tab content. Agencies, in particular, that have used iFrames to cut corners on Facebook application development will have to adapt quickly and may struggle to gain the requisite depth of skill within the expected rollout timeframe. They (and their clients) are thus exposed to a considerable amount of risk.

Facebook’s Strategy Favors the Focused

The planned changes by Facebook underscore how fluid the social media environment is. Marketing users need to ensure that the agencies they engage are not only following Facebook developments closely but should work with those that have committed to mastering the tools and practices that are consistent with Facebook’s strategic objectives.

As Facebook continues to pursue an agenda of aggressive growth – particularly amid rumors of a 2010 IPO – look for the company to emphasize tools and features that will bolster its financial performance (e.g. through traffic and user acquisition and retention) and gain a deeper commitment from other companies in the Facebook ecosystem – particularly the agencies developing Facebook applications.

The net effect of this shift in the Facebook ecosystem will be to shift marketing techniques from guerrilla to planned and professional. Agencies that have thrived in the “Wild West” environment will find themselves unable to marshal the skills and resources necessary to serve their clients effectively. The fact that Boxes and iFrames will be discontinued, for example, indicates that Facebook marketing will require a specific set of development capabilities … which will have to dovetail with marketing, media and community management competencies. Standalone Facebook marketing is already in decline, and the integrated approach is seeing an accelerated rise.

Ultimately, Facebook will want to put its best foot forward when introducing itself to the public markets, and that means shoring up its financial statements and showing that it has an attainable plan for continued strong growth. Features that trigger end-user interaction are crucial to financial success, as is the management of a rationalized ecosystem that feeds Facebook – rather than use it as a platform for gain that doesn’t generate any value for the platform itself.

The Advantage of the Fully Integrated Social Media Agency

enter:new media invests considerably in both its Facebook application development and marketing capabilities and in monitoring the Facebook ecosystem for the changes that can affect the returns they are looking to secure. Consequently, we provide a degree of readiness for our clients that protects their social media marketing investments and relationships while positioning them for greater ROI.

We are among the few agencies that combine the full set of social media marketing capabilities needed to thrive on Facebook under one roof – from strategy through development, media outreach and community management. An agency that is not equipped to handle every aspect of the Facebook marketing process leaves its clients exposed to inordinate risk when platform changes are made, as many will learn in the coming weeks.

Are you ready for the new Facebook marketing environment? Time is short, and your brand’s at stake. Give us a call to learn how the new Facebook features will  affect your Facebook applications… and your social media marketing strategy as a whole.

Celebrities, spokespersons and other prominent personalities are flocking to Facebook. It enables them to expand their reach beyond a particular media or social venue and connect with existing and new audiences through a channel known both for reach and flexibility … yet many take advantage of neither. Instead, they use default Facebook functionality, which offers little advantage over the average user, let alone other recognized names. So, when enter:new media began to work with international polo star Nacho Figueras on his Facebook presence, we emphasized that there were no boundaries. Forget the confining structures seen by the average Facebook user, we explained, and there is no limit to the fan experience that can be delivered.

Since he’s both an athlete and a spokesperson for Ralph Lauren’s Polo Fragrances, Figueras’ Facebook fan page had to reflect the dual nature of his public persona. We worked with Figueras to develop a theme based on the glossy magazines in which his fans are accustomed to finding him – oversized photos dotted with text elements that direct the user to new content and interactive features.

A magazine-like tab serves as the gateway to fan-exclusive content, which is offered in the style of a glossy’s table of contents. Status updates, photos, videos and information on the sport of polo are easily accessible from within this format, which relieves Facebook users of the drudgery of the canned profiles they normally encounter. The Figueras experience on Facebook is nothing short of stunning … which is exactly what his fans expect.

How are we able to gauge what Figueras’ admirers want? Well, they tell us – with each of his new photos, videos and status updates. The user community is quite active, reflecting the momentum that has built around the Figueras brand through his Facebook presence. While Figueras content is the basic fuel for the fan page, the users extend its value with their comments, triggering more activity and exposure and generating new fans for the page.

This is the point, of course. Celebrities and “names” in their respective fields lose an opportunity to grow their personal brands if they use Facebook – and other social media platforms – as nothing more than a content delivery mechanism. Turn it into a unique experience featuring a robust content stream from users, however, and the returns on a social media investment can be substantial.

A few years ago, it was possible to stay in front of your brand simply by claiming your social media plot – but the rules have changed. Now, celebrities and prominent players need to turn their online presences into extensions of themselves, a situation to which these platforms do not easily lend themselves. Though the temptation to stay within the Facebook lines is difficult to resist, we found with Figueras that fans expect much more than the norm. Your profile should represent you. So shatter the Facebook boundaries, and turn your celebrity profile into an engine for personal brand growth.

The luxury market resisted online marketing for years, fearing brand degradation and that additional investment wouldn’t yield a return. Yet, this thinking is changing, quickly. The ubiquity of internet and social media use includes the high net worth market. Skipping the social media space thus means passing on a rare opportunity to engage the core market directly.

Versace decided to get in front of this trend. Rather than enter social media with trepidation, a common approach in the luxury apparel market, this premier apparel and accessories brand worked with enter:new media  to launch an integrated online-to-boutique concierge service to engage its customers through the holiday season, cultivate brand loyalty and infuse a personal touch into the online retailing environment.

Through a custom microsite, versacewishlist.com, visitors could choose from a wide range of Versace merchandise, including new items not yet available to the general public. The application includes the capability to track clothing sizes, as well, ensuring that the user’s exact preferences could be recorded. Then, they could either forward the list to the people most likely to buy the contents for them – such as a husband or family member – or make a purchase directly. After having been opened to a targeted list of Versace customers, access was later extended to fans of the brand on Facebook and followers on Twitter.

Instead of merely receiving the order via mail, the custom application sends it to a local boutique, where the recipient can see the clothing, try it on and work with a specialist to ensure that the gifts or personal purchases are exactly what she wants. High-touch service is thus wrapped into the experience, differentiating Versace’s social media marketing and selling technique from the rest of the market.

Through the Versace Wishlist site, we created a new way to induce customers to enter the in-store experience, which remains highly valued in the luxury sector. Once a customer enters the store to complete the Wishlist purchase, opportunities for cross-selling and up-selling open up, delivering an opportunity to increase the value of the transaction – and the ROI from the social media marketing effort.

The social media space doesn’t preclude personal interaction. In fact, it can drive more opportunities for high-value client interaction, as long as the marketing program is constructed properly. As we’ve seen with Versace, customer engagement should be pervasive and ongoing. What starts on the web can end in the store, especially when your most loyal customers are given access to products before they reach the shelves.

The digital economy has embraced the luxury sector – and vice versa. The industry’s new challenge is to harness this environment to deepen the customer relationship and increase the frequency and size of purchases. As we’ve shown with Versace, a clear ROI on social media marketing is not only possible but attainable.

To promote a brand through social media, sometimes, you have to focus on everything else. When we developed a social media marketing effort for YMI Jeans, it became clear that the target market was looking for more than the new styles and products that our client wanted to sell. To reach its goal, we created an integrated social media environment that used related information to attract likely customers and used it to draw them into a relationship with YMI.

We partnered with YMI Jeans to construct a customized social media presence that includes robust content development and community management for its blog, Twitter and Facebook … as a starting point. Of course, content has little value in front of a limited audience. To increase the value of YMI’s promotional material, we launched a collaborative initiative with musician Pete Wentz and his clothing line, Clandestine, to increase brand visibility, drive sales and attract social media users into an ongoing relationship to use as a foundation for future revenue generation.

For YMI Obsessed, our client’s blog, we conducted an interview with Wentz, using the content to drive membership on YMI’s fan page and to generate activity on Twitter. Proactive media outreach expanded the interview’s online footprint, as several high-profile, highly trafficked blogs picked up the story and made the interview YMI’s most popular blog post. After the initial spike, we found an increase in the traffic baseline, indicating that core readership increased substantially.

Blog traffic, of course, is an indicator of potential. Turning it into a business success requires both an innovative sales tool and a hook for reader retention and the development of an ongoing brand relationship. We developed a multifunctional Facebook application to accomplish both goals seamlessly.

Our application enabled readers to become fans of YMI Jeans and GoMerch on Facebook at the same time through an off-platform application. Potential customers were thus able to opt into the relationship without any disruption to their experiences on YMI Obsessed. The Facebook application was reinforced by targeted content – both written and photographic – to show how the YMI and GoMerch products fit together, delivering a complete experience for visitors and incentive to take the next step.

Visitors were rewarded for their efforts. When they responded to the blog candidate and became fans of YMI on Facebook – without having to leave the blog – we revealed an exclusive promotion code that provided a discount for products from YMI.

YMI was able to use this partnership with Wentz and Clandestine to gain substantial media attention, as several major blogs picked up the interview. The result was a proliferation of the YMI brand across the web. There’s no such thing as recession-proofing (don’t believe anyone who says otherwise), but an aggressive, unique social media marketing campaign provided an up-tick in brand visibility and sales in a difficult market. It’s possible to succeed, as long as you’re ready to venture into new territory.

Fashion brands and retailers are seeing not only the benefits of social media, but the need to enter the space. Every indicator points to the growth of this marketing approach. This means that social media marketing alone won’t be a differentiator. The specific social media techniques used to market the brand will determine where the consumer’s wallet will open. enter:new media is watching these trends and constantly develops and implements new measures to help our clients engage with their customers. As YMI Jeans saw, a collaborative effort with a complementary apparel company and a celebrity that matters to its market can be incredibly powerful.

Lauren Merkin is looking to increase bag sales on their website with a little help from your friends…

In today’s challenging retail environment, brand marketers are looking for creative ways to engage with their target audience in hopes of getting their products added to more holiday wish lists.  Now, new evidence is driving brands and retailers to embrace social shopping. According to a recent article by eMarketer, nearly a third of social network users regularly share their views on products with their friends. This is creating a significant window of opportunity for brands to become a part of the social conversation.

Lauren Merkin is embracing social media by working with enter:new media to create a branded, custom social shopping experience on their Facebook page.

The new Lauren Merkin shop on Facebook allows users to view items from the Lauren Merkin holiday collection and share their selections with their friends. Unique and customized messaging will accompany the share post and allow users’ friends to provide their opinions and even select their favorites.  For an extra twist, Lauren Merkin even offers a “boyfriend button” designed specifically to show that special someone how to find the perfect gift for you.

According to Lauren Merkin, when approaching social media, the goal was to create a fresh and new online experience. “Shopping for handbags with your friends in a boutique or department store is a fun, social experience. Why shouldn’t that be the case for shopping online? For our Facebook initiative, we wanted to break the grid structure of a typical ecommerce experience, get friends involved, and give it our own unique twist.” The company is even offering an exclusive handbag that can only be accessed through the Facebook page. “We want our fans to feel special,” explains Ms. Merkin.

Fan Exclusive Video – LIVE and only on Facebook.

What’s it like to walk the red carpet? How will you handle the rush of paparazzi fighting for the perfect shot of you from every direction? Can you keep your composure as you stride right past the hottest international models, Hollywood A-listers, legendary artists, New York social elites, and even Donatella Versace herself? Thousands of Versace Facebook Fans had the chance to find out via an exclusive live broadcast from the Red Carpet at the Whitney Gala & Studio Party to support Art Unites. Yet another exclusive perk of being a fan of Versace’s official Facebook page.  Check out more images from the red carpet, or watch it on demand.

According to the latest report from eMarketer.com, most have a long way to go.

Despite widespread adoption of social media, measurement still lags. Only 16% of those polled said they currently measured ROI for their social media programs. More than four in 10 respondents did not even know whether the social tools they were using had ROI measurement capabilities.

Measuring the success of social media marketing can be difficult, but using a variety of hard and soft ROI metrics is one solution. For example, distributing a coupon via a social network and monitoring its redemption can put a concrete number on social success. And marketers can also assign a dollar value to soft metrics, such as number of fans or followers, to measure ROI.

Unlike many agencies that lead with a creative tool or campaign, we lead with a focus on defining metrics. Creating value in social media is less about one big idea and more about pointing a thousand little ideas in the direction of unified metrics. This is impossible to do without a clear vision of how to define that value upfront.

How clear are you on how social media can and should be used to drive measurable value for your brand?

iVillage is one of the first and largest communities for women online. Their decision to make the move onto new social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook was more than just a ploy to increase traffic back to their page. The brand is focused on extending its community onto these platforms in a way that creates new value for the business and unique experiences for users.

As Michele Mitchell, VP of Audience Development and Retention for iVillage explains, “For us Facebook is not simply a place for us to advertise, it’s a new platform for us to build our business and extend our community.”

Check out the new iVillage Facebook presence and stay tuned to see how we continue to help this initiative grow to become an increasingly important part of their business.

When you’re creating a social media presence for Versace, you can’t simply design any old Facebook page. It must be a Versace Facebook Page. By combining key social media tools with big visuals, hot runway videos, and meticulously curated experiences, we created a Facebook presence that is, well, very Versace. Perfetto!