Facebook App Creates Pinterest-Like Groups for Brands

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Offerpop today announced an application that lets companies create Pinterest-like communities of "Superfans" on branded Facebook Timelines. Nail polish maker OPI, Universal Records, and ModCloth are beta testers of the marketing feature, officially dubbed "Fan Profiles."

More than anything, said Mark Cooper, CMO of New York-based Offerpop, the feature lets consumers create profiles on brand pages. Their profile information is imported from Facebook to the app via the social site's API, he said.

"It lets those brand fans get to know each other," Cooper said, "And they are no longer restricted to Timeline."

OPI and Universal Records (for artist JoJo) have the feature live; however, ModCloth's Facebook page may give the clearest view of how marketers can use the Fan Profiles product. Visitors to the page can click on a "ModCloth Superfan" tab, which leads to a landing page that encourages them to join the community while employing the commonly utilized like-gating tactic. The page copy reads: "Hey tastemaker! 'Like Us' to be one of the first ModCloth Superfans!"

Once users "like" the apparel and housewares seller, they'll see a collage of pictures from other people who have joined the community. After clicking on an image, they are taken to a user's profile, which centers on the idea of "liking," commenting, or sharing photos. In the case of ModCloth, many of its so-called Superfans are posting pictures of themselves in a piece of attire they want to show off. Similar to Pinterest and Twitter, users can "follow" one another via the app. Users must grant the app permission to post actions, such as like, comment, share, follow, etc., on their Timelines.

Like Pinterest, the app encourages viewers to scroll downward to "See More" images and profiles. Employing the Fan Profiles system, ModCloth has created a tab within the Superfan experience for users to explore special offers that the brand says will be exclusive to them.

San Francisco-based ModCloth didn't respond to an interview request.

Cooper from Offerpop said brands using his company's app will have access to a data dashboard that breaks down which Superfans are the biggest Facebook influencers. The influencer ranking, he said, will be based on how many likes, shares, comments, and follows a user inspires.

"Brands can download the data on an Excel spreadsheet," Cooper explained. "It's pretty granular."

In the beta tests, the CMO said, "we've seen increases in the 'People Talking About This' metric and affecting [Facebook] edgerank."

"Fan Profiles has given us valuable insight into our audience, " noted Crista Funk, interactive media coordinator at OPI, in a prepared statement. "It has helped us determine what type of content is most engaging, and has created a stronger community amongst nail enthusiasts."