Albert Qian: The Social Media Dude

The Social Media “Bunny Effect”

A bunny named Brownie has 5,427 likes on Facebook and a conversational reach of 2,421 individuals talking. Can’t believe it? Believe it. Then continue reading.

Longtime friend and Facebook ads employee Jinghao Yan is no social media dude, but is very inquisitive and successful when it comes to applying to social media in his daily life. With 313 subscribers and a treasure trove of great content (economics, politics and Facebook Food that he eats), he’s the place to be for good conversation. Recently, he started a Facebook Page for his pet bunny, “Brownie”, in which he used a combination of Facebook ads and Sponsored Stories to get people to like the page. In a month, the page has racked up 5,427 (and many more since this post) likes, thousands of shares and a celebrity status for an animal. 

We’ve seen this type of celebrity before — the Bronx Zoo Cobra comes to mind as one, and both see thousands upon thousands of curious followers, and when measured across influence levels, these folks have higher influence metrics than some social media initiatives themselves (The Bronx Zoo Cobra has a Klout score of 55, which makes him a pretty influential snake). So why do we like things such as bunnies and on-the-loose snakes, but more important causes and professional endeavors get a lot less likes?

The Bunny Effect
Humans encounter a plethora of serious issues daily. From the macro-level global epidemics, pandemics and hunger issues to the daily hodgepodge of bills, a 9-5 and relationships, there is enough to deal with. When coming home to social media, sometimes the last thing that people want to see is a professional post. A bunny or a snake on the loose for example, provides a better diversion from the tough crises of daily life. 

The Bunny Effect also extends to advertisements, which Yan uses to promote Brownie the Bunny. In using ads for businesses in the past, I have used Facebook ads as well to increased views but less overall fanfare. Brownie on the other hand, has seen a higher view rate as well as an astronomical increase in fans.

In the end, the bunny effect comes down to cuteness and a desire to create conversation using social media. Brownie’s updates are mostly pictures with enthralling captions, which move the needle. Can we apply the bunny effect to a business page or an informative cause to change the world?

You can view Brownie’s page here. Comment about it on there, my comments section here or on Twitter @albertqian