Every social media campaign, contest or giveaway is different. And as everything else in social media, success is dependent on many moving factors – an even further, these individual factors differ per business. Although this sounds like an absolute headache, there are basic building blocks to ensure your business gets the most out of its social media initiatives. In this post I’ll review 8 elements of every successful social media campaign:
1. A PLAN & EDITORIAL CALENDAR
At the core of every successful social media marketing campaign is a solid plan and editorial calendar. Knowing what tasks and important dates are coming up keeps your team on the same page, and gives you the freedom to spend time on interacting with those participating in your campaign, or taking advantage of spontaneous opportunities to push your initiative. Put together (or plan) content, content messaging, related hashtags you’ll be using, what networks your audience is active on, etc.
2. CLEAR GOALS
Defining clear goals before you begin a campaign can help you keep track of progress and identify points at which you may need to ramp up efforts. Focusing on clear goals will give you and your team direction on where to concentrate your energy.
3. THE RIGHT PLATFORMS
Here, I am referring to the right social media network(s) for your business, the right tools and social networks for the contest itself. Make sure your contest or sweepstakes “works” on the social media networks you are running this social media campaign from.
4. KNOW THE RULES
This point applies to both knowing the ins and outs of your own campaign as well as learning the rules and terms of services of the social media network(s) you are using to run it. Getting familiar with the networks’ functionalities will ensure you are getting the most impact from each post – and keep you out of trouble.
5. THE RIGHT PRIZE
The right prize sets the tone for enticing qualified participants. You will attract whoever wants to win your specific prize, so remember who you want to target. Keep prizes fun, but relevant to your audience and product or service. You can also try giving away smaller items and give your participants the opportunity to sign up for extra entries for a larger prize.
6. LANDING PAGE
A well optimized landing page can increase your campaign conversions. People have short attention spans, so when you send a visitor to a landing page it’s a moment for them to absorb all the information about your offer. Your landing page should include a clear headline, info about your offer and of course a call to action. P.S. Videos force people to stay on your landing page longer, and can increase conversions.
7. HELP FROM EXISTING CUSTOMERS/INFLUENCERS
Help from existing customers or influencers will give you a great initial boost and aid in getting the word out. Email your existing customer base or reach out to some influencers to be part of your campaign. The extra work is worth all the effort when you see your campaign reaching fresh sets of eyes.
8. ANALYSIS & MEASUREMENT
Every social media campaign – successful or not should measure and analyze every part of the campaign from the creative used to the emails or info collected – this is where your plan and clear objectives come in handy. Repeat the parts that worked and don’t repeat the things that didn’t.
Not every campaign will be a run away success- but each will leave you with key take-aways for the next attempt – don’t get discouraged! Including the elements we’ve reviewed and being prepared will only increase your chances of getting the results you want from your social media campaign.
As always you can leave any questions in the comments below.