Papa John’s Pizza has amassed an impressive social media following, rivaling that of companies two and three times its size.
While it has fewer Facebook “likes” overall compared to some competitors, such as Domino’s and Pizza Hut, its per capita “likes” are on par and growing.
For example, we can see from the chart that Pizza Hut has close to 9 million fans (who have “liked” the Facebook page). It also has 12,000 locations (not shown), so that is about 741 fans per location. Using that same formula, Domino’s has 739 fans per its 10,000 locations, and Papa John’s has 658 fans for only 4,000 locations – and every day with every promotion and more exposure, their fan base is growing.
A fan base of this size doesn’t simply spring up overnight, it takes time to cultivate and build.
Papa John’s built its base upon special offers and coupons, such as free pizza for becoming a fan, and saw a higher redemption rate on Facebook coupons and offers than e-mailed or mailed coupons.
However, Papa John’s gained 130 thousand fans over the course of 24 hours with one simple social media campaign. It offered a chance to be featured on the Facebook page as a “Fan of the Week,” and the idea resonated with its target demographics.
Additionally, the page is filled with special offers and very visual content, giving it great page placement on its fans’ news feeds.
Papa John’s is also willing to ask for “likes” and fans are willing to oblige. The most interaction received on a given day was on a post where a “like” was requested, with a call to action.
In addition, Papa John’s posts at least once a day, using words and questions that are driving engagement, and using images, which is the most simple and direct way to catch consumer attention.
While the Papa John’s following is impressive, and it is doing many things correctly, how can it drive engagement even further, and surpass larger competitors in Facebook “likes” and impressions?
One way is to increase post frequency.
Pizza Hut, which has the largest audience, posts approximately 17 times a day on average, and does not seem to have breached their fan’s threshold for interaction, so Papa John’s could likely post 3-5 times a day with similar results.
It would also be beneficial for Papa John’s to look at the entire social media picture. Social media is not limited simply to Facebook engagement, but also Twitter, which provides real-time updates yet facilitates less engagement. If engagement is the true goal, using Facebook as a sounding board to interact with fans and turn them into consumers would perhaps require the use of Twitter to drive engagement to the Facebook page, while simultaneously using Twitter to respond to real-time complaints and praise.
However, the area Papa John’s has left most untapped, and the area that could be most beneficial, is identifying – based on interactions – the top fans of Papa John’s, as well as Pizza Hut and Domino’s, and then targeting Facebook ads specifically at those top fans.
Papa John’s could also consider targeting ads to those expressing displeasure on the pages of their competitors, offering an alternative and much superior pizza experience, especially if it could filter down to where it has a competing location within five miles.
While Papa John’s has done a phenomenal job of appealing to the broad consumer base on Facebook, specific, targeted ads could make the difference between Facebook presence, and Facebook presence that translates into real world profit.
For more on how we can turn likes into profit for your company, contact Dawn Wigginton at dwigginton@vestadvertising.com.
