We've Run a Gazillion Social Media Campaigns.
It’s true, we really have! And because we have, we’re sharing what we’ve learned along the way. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair and let’s talk social media marketing.
Here’s the thing: we really love a good social media campaign. Social campaigns provide a fantastic opportunity to engage with your audience, attract new prospects and build a solid email list. Over the years, we’ve run a lot of different campaigns for a number of our clients on social media, but we have to say giveaways and sweepstakes are our favorite. Why giveaways and sweepstakes you ask? Simply put, they are popular and effective. This type of social campaign is a fun way to connect with your audience, while also attracting new people to your brand.
Below, we’re sharing what we have learned from running our own campaigns.
#1: The Prize or Offer Matters
- Forgive us for stating the obvious, but the prize should be of value to your personas. Before picking the perfect prize, ask yourself these five questions.
- Make sure to clearly convey the value of the prize in your giveaway. The more valuable the prize, the more participation you will get. When you’re crafting this message, it should feel exciting to you. If it does, you will undoubtedly entice your personas to engage with your brand.
- In a sea of online messages, you want your campaign to grab people’s attention and stand out. Don’t forget that consumers are bombarded with different messages in their social media feeds all day long. Take the time to create compelling content and visuals so your offer really pops.
#2: Promote, Promote, Promote!
Use these three channels to effectively promote your giveaway:
SOCIAL MEDIA:
- Spread the word through your social media channels. Your social media followers are an audience that’s already interested in you, which makes your job a whole lot easier!
- Boost your reach with social ads. In addition to promoting the campaign organically, boosting your campaign with a social ad budget can really increase participation. Facebook, Twitter or Instagram ads can get your ads in front of a larger audience, but not just a larger audience - the right audience (a.k.a. Your personas) . It is also important to ensure your that the people already connected to you see your campaign (we consistently see that current fans and followers convert at a much higher rate.)
EMAIL:
- Don’t forget your email list! Just like your social media followers, this group is comprised of your customers and prospects already connected to you, and who want to hear from you. By offering a social media campaign, you drive them to your social platforms and engage them in a new way.
YOUR CUSTOMERS
- Although the goal of a campaign may be to attract new prospects, or engage current leads, it can also be a way to keep your current customers interacting with your brand. By also engaging current customers, odds are they will help you promote your campaign with their own network and followers. Talk about a win-win!
#3: Follow Up
- After the campaign has ended, make sure to follow up with everyone who participated. This gives you an opportunity to extend a special offer that gives your MQLs a chance to try out your product or service. We have seen really great results from special follow up offers.
Creating a successful social media campaign is a lot of fun, but it also requires careful planning and in depth knowledge about your target audience. Looking for a social media campaign example? Look no further, check out these two great examples, here.
And now we’d love to hear from you! What are your top takeaways from running a social media campaign? Any lessons learned that you would add to our list? Have a great social media campaign example and want to share it? We’d love to share ideas with you, please comment below!
