Inside Facebook

At midnight, Harry Potter fans were waiting in long lines to catch the first showings of the long-awaited release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. And today, as more waves of people make trips to the theater to watch J.K. Rowling’s sixth book on the big screen, others will be showing their loyalty in other ways – like sending Harry Potter themed virtual gifts to Facebook friends who share in their love of Harry Potter.

Millions of users today are seeing Harry Potter virtual gift engagement ads on the Facebook home page. They can also be found by visiting the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Facebook Page and clicking on the Gifts tab.

Users can send a Memory Vial, Cauldron, and/or Potions Book to their friends. All items are free and are available until “supply” is out. After sending a gift, you can choose to publish the story to the recipient’s wall. Here’s what the story looks like:

This is obviously not the first of branded virtual gifts on Facebook Pages. Virtual gifts are becoming an increasingly popular and common form of advertising inside Facebook – both on the Facebook home page and inside popular Facebook applications. In many cases, the timing of virtual gift campaigns – as is the case with the Harry Potter gifts and the opening day of the Half-Blood Prince – is critical.

Related Resources:

• The Facebook Marketing Bible
• Best and Worst Facebook Marketing 2009