What defines an exemplary social media campaign? What are the elements necessary to capture consumers’ attention and bring about interest and participation in any given social media campaign? What are the best recent social media campaigns online? How can we measure the success of a social media campaign?

A Brief Intro

It is definite that things in life are never just black or white; they usually come in different colors and shades which naturally applies to everything we do, see, touch, feel and so on.

Recently, one of the main focuses of companies with online presence and dedicated communities is creating and designing original, top-of-the-line, creative and motivating campaigns using social media.

Here is where the colors come in play! If we assume that colors are the intensity of a social media campaign’s success, brighter colors being most accomplished and so on, it can be quite difficult to determine which campaign was executed perfectly! Yet, after conducting some research, I have been able to highlight 10 brands that were able to pass the test with flying colors!

10 Social Media Campaigns that Rock:

1. “Give Me My Chuck” campaign – using social media to pressure the NBC to continue to broadcast the third season of Chuck!

[ See this campaign’s Social Media by Example review on Thoughtpick ]

2. Sea World’s Whale social media campaign – a unique integrated campaign that “serves as a bit of a reminder about some of the clever social media marketing that can be done beyond the typical diet of Facebook Pages, Twitter and YouTube.”

[ See this campaign’s Social Media by Example review on Thoughtpick ]



3. Threadless building “brand love” – a great message and a comprehensive coverage on the most suitable social media channels.

4. Dunkin Donut’s new product Facebook campaign– using the Coolatta fan page, Dunkin gave out free beverages as a twitter avatar contest!

[ See this campaign’s Social Media by Example review on Thoughtpick ]

5. Ford using social media to promote the new Fiesta – Ford was able to find the right target audience for its Fiesta and market to them in an intriguing manner.

6. Sony Ericsson‘s viral approach – here, Sony used a mysterious character named Johnny X and YouTube to create an element of curiosity to promote Xperia X1.

7. Burger King‘s Facebook application (in addition to other social media uses) – the Whopper Sacrifice application on Facebook.

8. Dell‘s effective mix of social media tools – namely Direct2Dell Blog.

9. Target‘s Facebook campaign – “Bullseye Gives” campaign on Facebook: a voting application connected to the brand’s existing Facebook page.

10. Comparethemeerkat.com‘s inclusive campaign – utilizing humor and a blend of social media channels to promote car insurance.

Elements of Success (how can it work for YOU?)

The success of social media campaigns, and utilization in general, does not, in any way, rely on some magical formula or any secret ingredients we might need to acquire from the belated witches of Salem! Yet, it is a careful mixture of simple and valuable elements which need to be present before, through and after the implementation of any social media campaign. Some elements could be very obvious, while others need some research and attention to be achieved.

Make sure that you apply smart integration with the “right” social media channels that suit your brand image, the product/service you are trying to promote and its value. Not every social media channel will bring about the positive feedback you are waiting for!

that suit your brand image, the product/service you are trying to promote and its value. Not every social media channel will bring about the positive feedback you are waiting for! Take time to choose the team who will be in charge of executing your social media plan. It is not about the quantity, it is about the quality, remember that! Experience and already established online PR agents or staff members will be of a higher value to your campaign in comparison with anyone with a lot of free time to waste!

will be of a higher value to your campaign in comparison with anyone with a lot of free time to waste! Again, content is king ! It is a must to make sure that your social media campaign’s content is not offensive, biased or easily misinterpreted. This could be easily used against you!

! It is a must to make sure that your social media campaign’s content is not offensive, biased or easily misinterpreted. This could be easily used against you! Just as it is important to know your target market online, learning more about your online target audience is very important ! This will not only help you know where to find them, it will also guide you in designing the campaign that will intrigue them and lead them to take actions!

! This will not only help you know where to find them, it will also guide you in designing the campaign that will intrigue them and lead them to take actions! You are under the microscope; play nice! Always be aware that once your social media campaign has hit the hot topics’ list, you are now being watched. Try to be continuously involved in any conversations, posts, chats and/or forums taking place regarding your product, service or campaign.

in any conversations, posts, chats and/or forums taking place regarding your product, service or campaign. Be innovative and try not to imitate whenever possible . You might use the same social media channels others are utilizing but try making your benefit and reward systems varied. Your audience is not always looking to get a free coffee!

. You might use the same social media channels others are utilizing but try making your benefit and reward systems varied. Your audience is not always looking to get a free coffee! Constantly measure the depth of your social media campaign’s fulfillment of goals and returns . The ROI should always be bigger, or at least equal to, the invested money, time, effort and resources that you are putting in the project.

the depth of your social media campaign’s . The ROI should always be bigger, or at least equal to, the invested money, time, effort and resources that you are putting in the project. Put effort into making the overall social media campaign’s experience fun, engaging and proactive. Adding games, puzzles and teasers can be very addictive!

In a nut shell, though it might be tricky to implement each of the above steps within the right time frame, remember something: impossible is nothing!

And finally, allow me to leave you with the following question to think about: What can be done when your campaign takes a wrong turn? Is there a kill switch for social media campaigns?

Further Readings: