7 takeaways from a Facebook Masterclass

Facebook took another step forward today in its efforts to strengthen relationships with agencies by leading a Masterclass event in New York City.

I was one of some 240 attendees at the day-long event, which highlighted the various Facebook platform features available to marketers while offering a snapshot of the cultural forces driving the company and its people.

I scribbled several pages of notes and reflections throughout the conference, but here are my top seven highlights and marketing takeaways:

1. Facebook acknowledged that its communication and service has largely gone to the world’s largest brands over the last three years, leaving agencies frustratingly out of the loop . But the new Facebook Studio initiative and ongoing events aimed squarely at agency marketers are steps toward changing that reality.

2. The phrase of the day was “social by design,” which Facebook speakers used again and again to emphasize that our fundamental online experience is “being rebuilt around people.”

3. The best presentation of the day came from Facebook product manager Paul Adams, who argued that marketers should tap directly into the “strong ties” within their fans’ existing social networks — and not the endorsements of bloggers or celebrities — to influence behavior and buying decisions.

Paul’s visuals of the multiple, independent small groups of a typical Facebook user were particularly effective in demonstrating how messages spread across social networks. (Click here if you don’t see the embedded Slideshare presentation below.)

4) The latest numbers about how much we use Facebook:

• The average user spends 6 hours a month on Facebook, and visits 24 times
• 70% of users visit Facebook every day
• 30 billion photos are uploaded every month

5) “Hacks” are an integral part of the Facebook culture, and typically consist of 24-hour-long brainstorming/coding sessions to solve a problem or test and build a new product. The Facebook “Like” button, Video, Photos, and Chat features all came out of the hackathons. We participated in our own 90-minute “hack” session during the afternoon, marketing style. A dozen or more groups proposed Facebook-based programs to support GLSEN and its ThinkB4YouSpeak campaign, and with any luck, our plan will be selected and featured on Facebook Studio later this month!

6) Facebook product marketing managers Jim Squires and Katie Faul offered four straightforward tips for improving brand engagement with fans through status updates:

1. Keep posts simple. Fewer words work best. Use visually compelling photos. Include a prompt or question with videos.
2. Establish a consistent voice. That voice should be a reflection of your brand’s culture and values.
3. Reward and feature your fans. Example: Oreo Fan of the Week.
4. Pace yourself, but be timely and relevant. Don’t share all your content assets or initiatives at once. Spread them out over time, publishing consistently, and at times of the day when your fans are most likely to be connected to Facebook. Be organized by using a content calendar, but flexible enough to adapt your content to feature relevant current events.

7) Another gem from Jim and Katie: “Think of your Facebook Page as a source, not a destination.”  Most fans see Facebook content from brands not on the Page itself, but in their News Feeds. All the more reason brands need to understand News Feed Optimization, and to create and share content that plays to the EdgeRank algorithm.

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This post is part of an ongoing “31 Days of Facebook Marketing” series from LiveWorld, a social media agency that offers moderation, insight, and community programming Facebook services for Fortune 1000 brands.