What can a luxury brand do in one year of carefully curating customer experiences through social networks and social marketing? Well, they can increase their profits 50% and reach over 3 million fans on Facebook.

This past week, luxury brand Burberry reported that its profits were up 50% (partially tied to emerging markets) and through their digital strategy had reached 3 million fans on Facebook.

How long did it take them?

To reach 1 million fans, it took ONE YEAR;

To reach 2 million fans, it took SIX MORE MONTHS;

To reach 3 million fans, it took just ONE MORE MONTH.

Angela Ahrendts, chief executive, told the Financial Times: “The climate profile, gifting culture, young demographics and predominantly male customer base all play well to different elements of our offer.” Through its own social community, Art Of The Trench, and creative content production (that’s spread through outside social networks and social communities like Facebook), Christopher Bailey has designed a creative to thank the fans.

How Did Burberry Get Social Luxury Right?

“Burberry is producing its own original content, in fact Burberry is no longer just a fashion company–today they are a thriving media enterprise.  Burberry is now the most widely followed fashion brand on Facebook.

Burberry is successful not just because it makes great clothes, but because it understands the importance of sparking interest in the community and using social media to engage and delight their consumers. Whether Burberry is relating to consumers by promoting indie bands on their Facebook page or celebrating the ideas of the most stylish customers on their site, The Art of the Trench, Burberry is building its brand not simply by broadcasting and advertising to them, but by creating new media experiences for them.” said Joanna Shields , Vice President for FACEBOOK EMEA.

What is important to note is the acceleration, or virality, that Burberry’s consistency generate. It took 1 year to get to 33%, half the time to double that goal and then 1/10 of the time to triple. Burberry doesn’t treat social media like a drive by shooting, it established “social consistency” and made social media one tool that fit into the brand’s big picture marketing and PR strategy; social media didn’t stand alone.

What I love most about Burberry’s social media strategy is that all of the conversations and engagement that the brand take place outside of the brand’s sites, Burberry.com or ArtOfTheTrench.com, are constructed in ways to drive new shoppers and current customers/brand loyalists back to those websites for further engagement or product purchase. This is a strategy that should be at the foundation of any and all social marketing plans a brand or retailer undertakes.

Get down with your social selves!