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Perhaps you recently read: "Furniture wholesaler Heylen reserves parking spaces for Facebook fans". It proves that social media extend their tentacles ever further, even to the physical stores. Obviously Heylen not really checks whether the parked drivers are fans or not. It's all about visibility. About encouraging customers to become a fan. Heylen also refers to its Facebook page on any receipt. In the past, there have been actions you could win 100 euros with if you became a fan. And in the future Heylen intends to place a like/share button under each piece of furniture in the online catalog. In the store there will be a 'Like-sign' next to the most popular piece of furniture in each category. Again Facebook visibility.

The reason behind this effort to gain fans is clear: to communicate with them in a very budget friendly way. If you put your own people on the job, you only pay staff. But why prefer Facebook over your own email campaigns? Aren't there any disadvantages to Facebook? Sure there are. For instance, you can't segment your audience. Fans are just fans. You do not know if they come frequently to the store to buy decorations, or if they are prospects looking for a new bedroom. You do not know if they love modern, romantic, timeless or classic style furniture. Another drawback: anyone can post what they want on your Facebook page.

However, there are also email solutions with which you can send your own e-mail campaigns cost-effectively - just like Facebook without specific IT knowledge - and that you can communicate with in a very focused way. You can, for example, send some exploratory emails containing links to different categories in your catalog: dining rooms, lounges, bedrooms ... The reader clicks on a link, and you know exactly where his interest goes. In a subsequent e-mailing you provide links to different styles in your catalog. And so on. This is also interacting with your 'fans'. After a few emails you are already able to send customized messages to your customers and prospects such as a selection of your most romantic bedrooms. Sounds time consuming? Not with the current software, making many of these processes automatic. All customer preferences are kept in a database where you can easily make segmentations. Even your email templates can be automatically filled with the right pictures and content blocks. Fully consistent with your corporate identity. You decide how far you want to go.

Don't get us wrong. We do not underestimate the power of social networks. But placing all your bets on Facebook just isn't sensible. What if the social media landscape becomes increasingly fragmented? Nowadays, it is sufficient to have a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Heylen is also present on YouTube, Flickr and Hyves. The company now places also a +1 button under its action messages, for Google Plus. Will these soon be joined by a Bebo button and a Tulalip button (the social network project that Microsoft would be working on)?