Imagine gaining 1.5 million new fans on your Facebook page — in a single day. That’s what happened on Frito Lay’s Facebook page for a 24-hour period in April? How?
It enlisted the help of FarmVille, the biggest Facebook phenomenon ever. FarmVille gamers earned virtual goods — which they crave — by harvesting crops sponsored by Frito Lay. (FarmVille, by the way, has 36 million Facebook fans.) Frito Lay also set up a kitchen in New York’s Times Square and live-streamed presentations from some big-name chefs on its Facebook page. But you can bet the vast majority of the new “likes” came from FarmVille.
Meanwhile, Frito Lay isn’t resting on its Facebook laurels. When it won the Guinness record, it gave away 24,000 free bags of chips — through its Facebook page, of course. As of this writing, Frito Lay is narrowing in on 2 million total fans.
Of course, media organizations are a different animal, but as we’ve reported recently, contests and giveaways are among the most successful short-term drivers of new Facebook fans. Free things — virtual or otherwise — are always a crowd favorite.