I write a lot about Starbucks and their social media activity – in part because I drink a lot of their coffee and in part because they are one of the best big brands doing it on the web (don’t just take my word for it…).

By following Starbucks on Facebook (and Twitter to a lesser degree) you get a sense for:
- how a big brand uses social media
- how users engage / interact with the brand
- how Facebook plays a role in that engagement / interaction

The below example showcases Starbucks’ integration a new Facebook poll within the feed. While the question is very insightful, the poll is clearly a powerful way to collect targetted feedback and data. Within 24 minutes, Starbucks collected 1,600+ comments, 2,250+ likes and 1,000s of votes.

Equally important, it showcases the types of products that Facebook is working on to help brands connect with users (similarly, Facebooks Ads now integrate ways to drive fans and create polls). Ultimately, advertisers will pay for a fans, engagement, data, etc than for a standard click or pageview:

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