Yesterday I wrote about Target and how they were able to successfully launch a marketing campaign on Facebook. While the Target campaign was running, Wal-Mart also tested the social networking waters again with its own social marketing efforts. Unfortunately, the results were not a good as Target’s.

Target was successful on Facebook for a couple of reasons. One was that the ad agency spent time on Facebook and understood how Facebook users were interacting with each other. They changed their marketing message to fit the Facebook audience, and they turned down the volume of their marketing message.

So what did Wal-Mart do differently? Well Wal-Mart decided to restrict comments and feedback on its Facebook page to “Wall Posts” instead of having a discussion board like Target did. This might have been an effort to control the message of the campaign but it backfired miserably as Bloggers took notice of this lack of conversation and soon a flood of anti-Wal-Mart comments appeared on the wall posts. Asked why the forum section is not being used, Wal-Mart’s rep explains, “The Wall was the opportunity we made available for these online discussions.”

Wal-Mart is a lightening rod for many people today over their labor practices and corporate reputation. Whoever was in charge of this campaign had to know that Wal-Mart’s Facebook page would attract negative comments. Instead of coming up with a creative way to disarm the critics, they decided to engage in a one-way conversation and restrict dialogue with the audience. This was the first big mistake.

The second big mistake was that Wal-Mart attempted to stray from its core. Over and over in the interviews that we have conduced you hear experts talk about how important it is to be genuine when conducting social networking. Wal-Mart is known for deep discounts, but the Facebook page was all about style and this did not sit well with Facebook users.

“Wal-Mart is known for discounts, not style,” says Drew Neisser, CEO of Renegade. “They are stepping away from their core brand truth and trying to play in foreign waters. Students immediately perceived the in authenticity of Wal-Mart trying to give fashion/style/taste advice and called them out on it.”

Forrester analyst Owyang says that the issue has to do with strategy. “Wal-Mart’s strategy appears to be more of an interactive Web design, which is evident because it isn’t using the discussion forum. Target is involving students to shape and be part of the group.”

The difference in the two companies Facebook approaches can be seen in the number of participants on their page. Wal-Mart representative Karen Burk McDevitt said that at least 2,000 members have participated in the site’s roommate quiz and other dorm-related features. Target on the other hand has attracted 7,176 members, 409 photos, 483 posts and hosted 37 discussion groups.

I do have to give Wal-Mart credit fie trying (and failing) at social media marketing. Elderman keep trying, and they keep failing.

“We recognize that we’re facilitating a live conversation and we know that in any conversation, especially one happening online, there will be some positive posts and some not so favorable. We welcome them all,” says Burk.

Elderman is coming up with good concepts; it is the execution of these ideas that is where the problem is. Wal-Mart will receive a high number of negative comments from users whenever they engage in social media marketing. They need to be authentic and move pass that. If they had positioned themselves as a good discount source for back-to-school supplies, and came up with a creative way to diffuse the negativity about their brand, then their Facebook campaign could have been a success.

Limiting conversation and positioning themselves as something they are not doomed this campaign from the beginning.

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