Wondering how to use Facebook effectively? Here’s one idea:

Over a long weekend in January, the Diamond Boutique of San Diego invited everyone to try on an 18-carat, round-cut brilliant diamond pendant — dubbed The Triple Crown and valued at $1 million — and pose for photos. Visitors who “liked” the Diamond Boutique on Facebook and posted a photo of themselves wearing the diamond would be eligible for a drawing in which a diamond bracelet was the first-place prize. The drawing was held a week after the event.

The Diamond Boutique had tried a similar promotion in 2003, but this time, Facebook added to its interactivity and reach.

“The difference is you didn’t have the Internet or Facebook to really blow something up before,” says Natasha Digius-Mahdavi, manager, staff gemologist and daughter of owner Mali Digius.

The promotion drew 2,000 people to the store over three days keeping seven staff members constantly busy. The first 100 visitors to pose for photos received triple-strand freshwater floating pearl necklaces with a retail value of $135. A red carpet was set up with a Diamond Boutique backdrop so that visitors could pose like celebrities being photographed by paparazzi. Everyone who posed was also given a souvenir photo of themselves and a gift certificate, which they could use beginning in February.

With the help of a publicist, the store got tremendous regional and national TV coverage for the event — without paying for any advertising — bolstered its Facebook following and added new customers to its mailing list.

{JFBCLike}

{JFBCComments}