Want Retention? Integrate Your Microsite into Social.

Marketers (especially those heavily involved in social media) aren't sold on micro-sites for long-tail results. Let's be honest, their complaints are warranted.

Which platform would you prefer? One that allows you to consistently engage and multiply your potential reach or a destination driven experiential site that has a cool concept but little stickiness.

The choice comes down to "boring" and lasting or flashy and quick. Most people opt for retention over experience.

However, given the current limitations that FBML and other social networks offer is it realistic to expect the kind of experience that a microsite can offer in terms of interactivity? Of course not.

I've seen some amazing things done within tight boxes like Facebook and more are coming but nothing has offered an experience like a microsite. The content is simply more fun (and interesting). Even if it is not viral or useful for long term retention.

How can you fix this?

Socially Integrated Content

Facebook Connect.

The Prototype Experience and Discovery's Frenzied Waters FB Connect experiences are more creative then most microsites let alone anything that you can find internally inside Facebook.

By allowing customization and Facebook data to personalize and contextualize your experience? You can convert at a very high rate. Your chances are even better if you can send them to your fan page once they have completed the experience. Like anything though? You need to add consistent utility on your Facebook fan page for this to have any sort of lasting effect.

Embeddable Content:

Sites like Livestream.com now allow for multi-platform conversations utilizing video, pre-roll and interactive content. You can now embed this experience so it hits all your bases.

Take your content to your customers, who cares about where it lives? It can technically live anywhere now (and everyone will get the same experience).

Sharing built in.

If you don't have ways to tweet, share, and spread information about your product's utility? You are flushing money down the drain. This is the simplest solution (and also the most under-utilized). Allow your content to spread and watch the value (and long range validity) of your microsite increase tenfold.

Note: Sharing is something that is overlooked on a consistent basis. Usually, a Facebook, Twitter and RSS button are thrown up and suddenly the page is now "social media ready". What I am calling out specifically is sharing abilities that enhance and reward the user's experience for helping you spread the content, thus it needs to be more then an afterthought. Use sharing as an integral part of the funnel and watch the magic happen.

Contextual and Relevant Content Streams

Seen Crispin's site? If you can incorporate relevant additional content around your branded experience? You are adding utility and increasing your retention. If your goal is to keep them in a funnel? This is a great way to do it.

(Pulling in localized RSS from places like Yelp and local newspapers are a great place to start.)

URL Redirects.

Remember if you do decide to have your content live on Facebook or another social network? Utilize a vanity url and a 301 redirect to your experience. People are far more likely to remember and utilize a vanity url over a facebook page's address. In this same vein? If you have to create an external microsite: host it on your url.

Ensure Context.

Provide unique and individualized experiences if at all possible. This can be anywhere from having a specific Facebook tab be the primary landing page to a Facebook connect experience.

It really comes down to this: Integrate. Integrate. Integrate. The more you connect the dots? The easier it will be for positive retention, customer experience and overall sales.

Can you think of any other ways to integrate microsites into social?

Photo Credit: sundazed

tagged as building social platforms, fbml limitations, how to build a social microsite, integrated system, microsite integration, social integration, social microsite, social sharing