By Jeff Rozic
This is a common refrain from brands who take the first steps to making “social” a part of their marketing mix. They’ve set up a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a YouTube channel…maybe they’ve broadcast some company updates, asked their email list to follow their social pages, and gathered their first followers). And then they hit a wall.
Social media marketing requires a steady investment – of budget and time. But done right, it’s well spent. So those first steps, think of them as a foundation. The initial round of attention earned from an audience fades fast unless the brand steps it up and engages the audience.
We call these engagements Dialogue and Promotions. Dialogue is what you do conversationally: Replying to messages transparently and quickly; taking feedback graciously.
Promotions build on dialogue and can help expand your audience- and activate them as customers. From simple sweepstakes to cross-platform video contests, brand promotions reward the user for paying attention and create a viral, word-of-mouth effect. Promotions offer users the most tangible reason for interacting with you.
Below is some advice for planning social promotions, straight from my colleagues. Not because we’re pitching you (although we’d be honored), but because we are social media users and, as boarders /bikers/boaters/climbers/runners/hikers, we’re also YOUR customers.
Commit To It. Invest the money and especially the time, to do it right. There’s nothing worse than a stale social page, with old tweets or posts littered across the screen like tumbleweed. If your entire social presence is a Facebook Wall full of Dialogue- your updates, questions, comments from fans of the brand, and your replies- you are well on your way. And even that takes time.
Be Authentic. Social isn’t about pitching your wares non-stop. It’s about engaging. Hosting and provoking a real-time conversation with the people who buy your stuff. It may take a little longer to measure revenue generated in social channels. But the payoff is often a longer-term customer who connects with your brand. So include announcements and product updates and promotions. Just make sure to be responsive, use a tone that fits the channel.
Go Across. Your customers aren’t always on their snowboards- sometime they’re on bike, sometimes on foot. The same goes for their social platforms of choice. They use them all, and each has its strength, in connecting with users. Nothing tops a YouTube brand channel- especially in action sports- for capturing and conveying the thrill of sports on video. But Twitter is tops for a content snack while waiting in a line somewhere- and about 1-in-5 Twitter users are in the habit of following brands. Embrace all the platforms and spread a consistent message across them.
Anchor. Use hooks to give your audience a reason to follow (or like or subscribe) to you, and come back often. Events (industry, spectator) are tremendous hooks. New product releases. Seasons- like, imminently, Black Friday and the holiday rush. These are age-old marketing fundamentals and they work in social, too.
Run a Promotion. A photo contest. A sweepstakes. An instant-win. A video contest. Promotions engage the audience you have, asks them for just a little bit of participation, and gives them an incentive to spread the word, and motivates them to check in with you frequently. Align the theme of the promotion, and the prize, in way that meaningfully represents your brand.
Contest or Sweeps? The easiest way to decide is to think about barriers to entry and viral impact. Sweepstakes are easy to enter and, if you include a referral incentive (where users get more entries for everyone they refer), especially viral. Contests ask more- that’s why contests that feature babies and pets are such a hit: because many people already have images on their laptop or phone…and because they’re adorable.) But as Sara Fruman wrote recently, videos and Facebook are an incredibly viral combination. And that’s what you’re hoping for.
Use the Content. The reward for a great user-generated photo or video contest is content that reflects what people really think about your brand. From Justin’s Nut Butter to Ford, brands of all sizes and stages are getting very good at using the content they collect from brand followers. Upload the videos to a YouTube channel. Use the photos in print ads. Display the winner on your homepage. Use it.
Promote It. We remind each of our clients: you’ve taken the time to plan a contest or sweepstakes. Don’t neglect promoting it. Tweet it. Post it on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. Create a video about it and post it on YouTube and your homepage. Run Facebook display ads or Google AdWords directed to it. Display signs in your storefronts or dealer locations. Include a clear call-to-action and be responsive to questions that arise. Often it doesn’t take long before the viral effect takes hold, and you can scale back your advertising efforts.
And one last piece of wisdom- especially with the 4th quarter retail bonanza already upon us. Start now! Your audience is already on Facebook (Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Tumblr… and, as of very recently, Google+) and so should you be.
Jeff Rozic is Director of Marketing at Votigo , the leading platform for flexible social media promotions that run across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, mobile and the web. Established in 2006, Votigo provides full-service solutions to Fortune 500 brands and their agencies, and recently launched self-service platform access for brands to create their own promotions for Facebook. Prior to joining Votigo, Jeff was a marketing manager at Google and later at Brand Affinity Technologies.
TAGS: facebook, grow your brand, how to use social media, jeff rozic, social media, twitter, votigo
