Starbucks hits 10 million fans on FacebookStarbucks hits 10 million fans on Facebook

Lisa Jennings

Starbucks this week became the first brand to win 10 million followers on Facebook.

The Seattle-based coffeehouse giant follows on the heels of pop singer Lady Gaga, who earlier this month became the first person to hit 10 million fans on Facebook.

According to Inside Facebook, an independent market research service of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Inside Network, Starbucks has earned its 10 million fans with aggressive marketing, promotions and advertising.

Starbucks frequently offers coupons for things like free ice cream and pastries, as well as interactive programs, such as one in which fans were invited to take photos of new advertising posters in six cities and post them, or another inviting them to attend “Frappuccino Happy Hours.”

Last year, Starbucks surpassed Coca-Cola as the most popular brand on Facebook, and the social media site said Starbucks’ page is one of the fastest growing, based on their tracking of the number of fans who sign on each week.

Virtue, an Atlanta-based social media management company, listed Starbucks at No. 11 on its annual list of Top 100 Most Social Brands in 2009. Starbucks was the highest-ranking foodservice company on the Virtue’s list, followed by Coca-Cola at No. 31 and Subway at No. 50.

Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].