Want to make millions from social media campaigns? We’ve got your back.
The last couple of years have seen an amazing increase in the strategy & creativity of social media campaigns, which has produced record breaking funds being raised for charities, people taking ownership of a brand’s identity & content sharing like never before.
To help your brand benefit from these campaigns, we have pulled them apart and put them back together for you to show what exactly they did that made them so successful.
Domino’s Pizza Delivery Emoji Campaign for brand advertising
Image: Mashable
Everyone loves emojis and everyone (we hope) loves pizza – so what better way than to combine the two?
Last year, Domino’s did just that and launched a new system where users can simply tweet the pizza emoji at the popular restaurant chain to place an order at the touch of a button (we’ve got our smartphones at the ready).
All customers have to do is set up an Easy Order account where they have to register their Twitter handle and enter the topping they wish for along with their payment details.
But why was this such a great campaign?
Well, it proved that brands aren’t taking themselves as seriously on social media anymore and are beginning to understand the community-driven aspects of what ‘social’ is really all about. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if more brands jump on this social train and follow suit.
The Last Selfie: World Wildlife Fund to establish brand identity
A Snapchat campaign that definitely pulled on the heartstrings of animal lovers everywhere was The Last Selfie set up by by the World Wildlife Fund.
The whole point behind the campaign was to highlight the disappearance of endangered species by using Snapchat’s main feature that sees pictures vanishing after 10 seconds. The result was worldwide branding and sharing, which led to increased donations in only a matter of days.
The Snapchat app and people’s urgency to act were the perfect match to raise awareness for endangered species and for conservation work to continue successfully.
The factors that contributed to making this one of the best social media campaigns of 2015 were the ability to:
- Create a buzz
- Relate to the audience
- Engage through emotions to make a strong, social statement
Compare the Market’s effective content sharing
Image: The Guardian
It’s no secret that Britain’s love for animals is fuel for nationwide marketing success. Whether it’s cats, birds or any other type of furry friend, it’s safe to say that animals are a sure-fire way to gain consumer engagement through emotional connection.
Is it because there is an element of trust between a human and an animal that helps to unite a brand with their audience, or is it merely the cute appearance and comedic value that comes with it?
Compare the Market’s meerkat creation is known as one of the most successful advertising strategies of all time, with cuddly toys and the recent addition of Meerkat Movies overtaking Orange Wednesdays (a definite thumbs up from film buffs).
Compare the Market works because people are more likely to:
- Share a piece of content if it has a strong, emotional and positive impact on society
- Animals remind people of their own pets, which consumers then associate with a feeling of warmth and friendliness
- The above point then pushes brands into a realm in which they can portray a certain image of themselves to a desired audience
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness
If you have never heard of the Ice Bucket Challenge, it’s possible you’ve been living under a rock.
The purpose of the campaign was to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease – a disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
It began with participants donating money to the charity or throwing ice cold water on their heads in the hope of challenging friends and family to do the same. In the end, it became so popular that everyone, including celebrities, got on board.
Statistics have soared from the Ice Bucket Challenge and it worked because not only do the public love a challenge, it was also a great way to unite the nation. Furthermore, having celebrities get involved was of particular importance because people felt as though they had bonded with their favourite well-known stars.
What can we learn from social campaigns?
When it comes to social campaigns, it’s essential that brands make a connection. After all, marketing only works when it means something to people.
Below are a few pointers to help determine what businesses can learn from social media campaigns:
- Have a plan – The best social media campaigns start with a carefully developed plan. The plan could be simple, such as the Ice Bucket Challenge, but it went viral nonetheless.
- Consider your brand’s voice and style – Again, the collaboration between Snapchat and The Last Selfie for the World Wildlife Fund blended perfectly to highlight the importance of the campaign. Think of how you are going to increase brand awareness, how to drive more traffic and improve conversion rates.
- Choose a platform that suits your plan – Different social platforms are beneficial for a range of purposes. Certain campaigns that might work better on Instagram may not have the same impact on Twitter. Establish what your campaign plan is and choose the best channel to advertise your services for maximum results.
- Understand your audience – There’s no harm in doing a bit of research and learning about other similar campaigns that feature in your industry. From this research you can see where your target audience spends most of their time so that your campaign will have the ability to reach them effectively.
- Emotion is key – As we’ve discussed, emotion is paramount when it comes to social media campaigns. It helps towards building a relationship and gaining trust between your brand and your audience. It also helps to promote your business in a more positive light, as people tend to engage more effectively if you have a personal touch.
Social media campaigns are becoming the forefront of digital marketing and successful campaigns should affect more than just how many Twitter followers you have.
By following the above points and incorporating them into your plan, you will have a better understanding of your target audience, you can extend your social reach and hopefully achieve your long-term business goals – hurray!
Don’t think you can handle social media all on your own? That’s cool – drop us a line and see what the Neil Walker Digital team can do for you.