The retailer adds more than 2.9 million followers in the second quarter.

Target Corp. seems to have hit the bull’s-eye in terms of what Facebook users want to hear about on the social network. The retailer added more than 2.9 million followers in the second quarter, bringing its total number of Likes, as of July 1, to nearly 14.6 million, according to the ChannelAdvisor Facebook Commerce Index.

The index from the e-commerce services provider tracks how many consumers have clicked that they Like any of more than 500 brands on Facebook.

Target has found that consumers respond to posts that discuss lifestyle and design topics. For instance, a post yesterday featured the caption, “College roomies are a toss up. No matter what, make your space just the way you want it with UStyler: http://college.target.com/ustyler.” The post, which referred to the retailer’s online dorm room design tool, received 1,561 Likes and 31 comments.

Trailing Target’s net gain was Amazon.com Inc., which added nearly 1.9 million followers in the quarter. Amazon, No. 1 in the Top 500 Guide, ran a sweepstakes for a Kindle Fire and a $100 gift card. To enter the contest, consumers had to Like the brand on Facebook. It also offered shoppers a second entry if they Liked the “Amazon.com Books” page.

Amazon also asked its fans to take action. For instance, one recent post asked consumers to “Share this post to make sure your music-loving friends don’t miss out,” and in another it said “Thumbs up if you like finding new free music.” “The takeaway,” says ChannelAdvisor in the report. “It doesn’t hurt to nudge your fans, especially if you pose it in a fun, innocuous way.”

advertisement

Despite Target and Amazon’s gains, they still lagged behind Victoria’s Secret, which has been the most-Liked retailer on Facebook since ChannelAdvisor began tracking retailers’ Likes in the index last year. Victoria’s Secret had 18.9 million fans as of July 1 and its Victoria’s Secret Pink brand had nearly 12.0 million fans, making the seventh-most Liked retailer.

Here are the 10 most Liked retail brands on Facebook, with their ranking in the Top 500 Guide for those in the Top 500, their number of Likes as of July 1, and the quarter-over-quarter percentage increase:

• Victoria’s Secret, No. 19, 18.9 million, 3%
• Wal-Mart, No. 4, 17.2 million, 13%
• Adidas Originals, No. 212, 14.8 million, 6%
• Target, No. 23, 14.6 million, 25%

• Burberry Ltd., No. 388, 13.0 million, 3%
• Levi Strauss & Co., No. 365, 12.6 million, 9%

advertisement

• Victoria’s Secret Pink, No. 19, 12.0 million, 2%
• Lacoste, 9.9 million, 4%

• Nike Inc., No. 72, 9.5 million, 6%
• World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., No. 492, 9.4 million, 6%

Here are the fastest-growing brands, in terms of net gain, in the index, with their ranking in the Top 500 Guide for those in the Top 500, their number of Likes as of July 1, and number of Likes added during the quarter:

• Target, No. 23, 14.6 million, 2.9 million
• Wal-Mart, No. 4, 17.2 million, 1.9 million
• Amazon.com, No. 1, 6.1 million, 1.9 million
• Levi Strauss & Co., No. 365, 12.6 million, 990,553
• Adidas Originals, No. 212, 14.8 million, 852,103
• Gucci, 8.6 million, 708,530
• Apple Inc., No. 3, 6.7 million, 626,877
• Hollister Co., No. 45, 8.7 million, 591,062
• Nike Inc., No. 72, 9.5 million, 574,400
• Hugo Boss, No. 286, 2.4 million, 540,673

advertisement

Here are the fastest-growing brands in the index in terms of percentage gain, with their ranking in the Top 500 Guide for those in the Top 500, their number of Likes as of July 1, and their percentage gain:

• ActionVillage.com, No. 443, 28,107, 708%
• Air & Water Inc., No. 477, 2,322, 410%
• B&H Photo Video Pro Audio, No. 165, 415,944, 141%
• RitzCamera.com, No. 519, 48,881, 135%
• Men’s Wearhouse, No. 289, 107,828, 106%
• OneWayFurniture.com, 2,139, 106%
• BabyAge.com, No. 297, 4,307, 84%
• FTD Flowers, No. 78, 193,943, 77%
• Street Moda, 29,432, 53%
• Gardener Supply Co., 44,142, 52%
• GiftTree, No. 446, 2,337, 52%

Favorite