Social media marketing is the key to running a successful online business. If you plan your social media campaign just right, you will be able to generate almost constant free traffic. In fact, the right social media marketing strategy may even end up with people advertising on your behalf.
On this page, we are going to introduce you to some awesome social media marketing campaigns that you can draw inspiration from. Obviously, don't copy these ideas. Use them to generate your own campaigns.
5 Best Social Media Marketing Campaigns for Inspiration
We have searched high and low for social media marketing strategy options for you. These are ones that we believe have been incredibly effective for the people running them. Of course, you can always get more ideas if you read through social media marketing courses, but this is a great place to start!
Apple
Want a great way to get people to market you without doing anything? Well, Apple showed how it is done. In their 'Shot in iPhone' campaign, they encouraged people to share images on social media that had been taken with their brand new iPhone. Of course, all of these pictures were emblazoned with the Apple logo, so it was a great way to strengthen a brand. Now, we know that you probably don't run a massive smartphone company, but it shows that encouraging people to create content around your brand is a fabulous way to go.
Dove
This was a really interesting campaign. In this campaign, Dove worked with Getty Images. Dove encouraged user-generated content, just like Apple did. However, they went one step further. Firstly, they encouraged people to take photographs without makeup and filters. Basically, to look as natural as possible.
This was great at creating user-generated content in itself. However, they also allowed these images to be used by marketing companies around the world for people who wanted 'natural beauty' in their promotional pictures. It was basically a 'double campaign'. So, if you do go for user-generated content, allow other marketers to use it (credited to you, of course). It could go big.
Airbnb
In one of their many social media marketing campaigns, Airbnb ran live video streams. The purpose of these streams was to show off the places that you could visit and stay through Airbnb.
Not only would you get to see some accommodation, but you could get a feel for what could be done in the area. It was successful. If you have a unique product, why not demonstrate it through a live stream? Maybe even show where your business is located? This is going to help you to build up a rapport with the people that are watching you.
Blendtec
This social media campaign actually took place on YouTube. You may have heard of it. It was dubbed 'Will it Blend.' Basically, the guys behind Blendtec claimed that their blender could blend anything. Cue them throwing literally anything into a blender over the course of many, many videos.
The content was incredibly shared because they were trying to do something a bit more unique than the norm. In fact, the campaign was so successful that they could build a whole YouTube channel out of it. Even now, you have people sharing 'memes' all over the web related to this campaign. This is really one for the ages.
State Bicycle Co.
Their social media campaign was dubbed '12 Days of State.' Over the course of 12 days, they put a different product on sale each day. If you missed it the day that it was promoted, you lost out on it completely. As you can probably guess, this generated a ton of sales for them. You could also do something similar with your own social media campaign. Have a 'sale' period once you have boosted up your followers. It could mean more business.
Obviously, we are only just tapping into the wealth of social media campaigns here. However, we genuinely believe these to be the best, so why not use them for a touch of inspiration?
What Marketers Can Learn from Social Media Campaigns
So, what can we learn from all of these social media campaigns we discussed? Well, we have a few different takeaways for you:
- User-generated content is the best way to get your campaign in front of millions (or at least a few thousand)
· Showcase the benefits of your products. Video content works here incredibly well.
· Do something a bit more 'unique.' Don't just promote a sale, tie it into a whole event
· It is fine to look at what your competitors are doing. You can tinker with their ideas, but do not copy them directly.
Basically, the best social media campaigns are going to be the ones that are ongoing. That once you have planted the seed, your customers will follow you and do whatever it is you want with very little input on your part. Of course, this is the 'dream,' but you will need to work hard on building up your brand so you can get to this point.
Trends for Social Media in 2020
We are going to round off this list by introducing you to a few social media trends for 2020. These are ones that you can use to plan your next campaign:
· Social media stories. Short, snappy content that is only there for 24 hours can drive customer interaction.
· Videos. Lots and lots of videos. Post them to social media. Create a YouTube account. Just do something to create more 'dynamic' content.
· User-generated content.
· Social media to research products. So, you want to talk about your products on social media and get good feedback there.
- Influencer marketing. You need to do it properly so you are not blowing your entire budget on something that doesn't work, though.
Conclusion
Businesses in this day and age can't thrive without social media. Sure, there are plenty of traffic sources out there, but the majority of your time needs to be dedicated to pulling in people through social channels. If you don't, your business will fail before you have really even started.
