If you’re devising a global Facebook strategy, one of the most important decisions that needs to be made is whether to develop one centralised, global Page, or to create one for each of your local markets in order to increase relevancy and to speak directly to your different audiences.

Facebook’s vice president of global marketing solutions Carolyn Everson talked about this idea herself recently in an interview with Clickz. She argued that the Pages which do well on Facebook are those which are “customised to the local environment [and] optimised for the experience”.

Engaging fans in all markets

Creating a brand presence on Facebook is still a maturing concept and, therefore, many brands have until recently, measured success based simply on the number of fans their Page has gained. However, with content proving to be such an important dynamic in any brand’s social media activity it is now becoming clear that the number of fans is not the best indicator of the success of a Page. It is about interaction, the willingness to recommend the Page and the brand and, most importantly, key monetisation metrics.

The worth of your brand’s Page is closely associated with the benefits you offer your audience. It’s a value exchange where content relevancy, timely interactions and customisation are key to building an engaged community. Brands need to consider how to respond to market and cultural differences, including cultural sensitivities, differences in time zones and language requirements.

Glocal social media strategy

Whether you adopt a local or global approach it’s crucial your Facebook strategy is aligned to your brand’s objectives. You must establish who your target audience are and how and why you want to engage with them. From this you can clearly set out your key success metrics which will enable to you achieve social media objectives.

Companies need to ask themselves what they are trying to achieve with their social presence and set out KPIs before deciding whether implementing a local or global strategy will best help them achieve their objectives.

With over 3.5 million followers globally Nokia has implemented a hub and spoke strategy with a global Page which is both the international hub for their brand and the facilitator for sending fans to localised Pages. A tab on their global Page has links through to 69 local market Facebook Pages.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to such an approach. For a global brand such as Nokia with huge resources it allows them to run localised promotions, produce customised content and create highly targeted ads. However, it also poses challenges – for example, you must ensure key brand messages are consistently communicated through each of their local Pages.

Nokia’s approach is just one course of action. Your brand’s strategy needs to be tailored to meet your unique objectives. This will be dependent on available resources and the most scalable and effective strategy for your brand.

The challenge for global brands is to ensure that programmes meet the needs of all audience members as well as staying true to the brand’s key messages. Achieve this and the result is social media success, both locally and globally.

Joel is founder and director of agency:2. Image via TechTremor.com.

Tags: agency2, facebook, joel david, social media, strategy