The Facebook post and push technique recently helped a small Norwegian startup attract over 20 000 fans and thousands of e-mail addresses in just a few weeks.

The technique is simple:

Run a Facebook promotion with a small tweak(read the exact details below).

The goal of the promotion is to get people to comment on a Facebook post and thereafter take advantage of Facebook push notifications to directly communicate with people that have commented and get them to register for a newsletter.

Here´s the simple formula:

Step 1: Write a stunning Facebook post – short, to the point, and easy to understand

SWEEPSTAKES – Win ABC product 🙂
– Write “YES” in the comment field to enter to win a FREE ABC product.

We will draw a winner tonight already!!

Original post(link to Facebook post – 1400 comments):

Key learning points in the post:

• Make it stand out in the feed- think mobile
• Make it easy for people to take action
• Create a sense of instant gratification – people can win almost immediately
• Follow up with multiple posts as the deadline approaches

Step 2. Announce the winner as comments with a link in the same thread.

Announcing the promotion winner link in the same thread as the promotion will trigger a push notification to all the people that have commented. Don´t be afraid to post frequently as the promotion deadline approaches. We know from experience  that people have a high tolerance for frequent Facebook notifications.

Announce winners in the comment field(this will trigger highly effective push notification to all original participants):

Post link to the list of winners in the original thread

Post often and more frequently as the deadline approaches

Step 3. Get the attention from your fans through push notifications

When you publish your link in the comment field, all the people that have previously commented on the same post will receive a push notification through Facebook.

In a world where it becomes more difficult to attract consumer attention, small tweaks and techniques can have a great impact. If you try out the Facebook post and push technique, feel free to share your experience in the comments below.

Disclaimer: The post and push technique is not for everyone and you might know about it already, but it works well for companies that are willing to experiment and that are playful in their communication style.