Social media campaigns are often a piece of a larger marketing campaign; however, they have their own elements and requirements. What do you need to create a successful social media marketing campaign?
A lot of people who use social media for business do so continually, without have a specific strategy. What’s the difference marketing with social media and a social media campaign? The main difference is that using social media is usually for general brand awareness and generating continuous touches with customers. Where a social media campaign is social media with a specific goal and planned steps to reach that goal.
What steps do you need to take to plan a success social media campaign?
Step #1 – Set your goals
Again, the main difference with general social media and a social media campaign is have one specific goal. Why are you running this campaign? Answering the “why” is the determining factor for the rest of your strategy.
What are some common goals for social media campaigns?
Increasing brand awareness
Acquiring leads
Driving traffic to a website or funnel
Finding new customers
Increasing sales
Introducing a new product
Once you have defined a goal it is important to connect that goal to specific measurable metrics. Using the SMART method is particularly effective. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. Without making goals smart, it is difficult to create an actionable strategy. It is helpful if the specific metrics you define are number based, the data you will gather (your results) will numerical.
Step #2 – Figure out the who
Targeting the right people is essential to a campaign’ success. It is important to figure out who you want to connect with. Is the target for this campaign a current customer? Are you looking to expand your customer base? Looking at your campaign goals should help you to find your target audience. The more information you can connect with your target audience the better. Many people find having a buyer persona helpful. A LookALike report may also be help because it can help you find which demographics to target.
Step #3 – Choose your channels
Some social media campaigns are across many different channels, but usually they have a focus on one or two specifics channels. Your campaign goals and target audience will inform what channels you should focus on. Are your target audience decision makers within businesses? LinkedIn might be the best fit! Instagram is great for visual products or targeting younger consumers. (Want more information on figuring out what social channel is a good fit for you? Click here!)
This is one reason it is important to keep track of campaign analytics. Data from past campaigns can also help inform channel decisions. There is not much reason to focus on a channel that has not worked for you in the past.
Step #4 – Content
What is the message of your campaign? Look at your campaign goals and audience to find the tone and messaging of your campaign.
Questions to ask yourself about campaign content:
- What type of content is best for your preferred channels?
- What tone of content does your target audience respond to? For example, can your tone be informal?
- What call to actions are going to be effective in reaching your campaign goals?
Step #5 – Plan out the when
Part of what makes a campaign a campaign is that there is an order of operations; series of steps. The next to planning a successful campaign is to figure out the flow.
Unlike other marketing campaigns, social media campaigns often require a calendar of scheduled content. There is usually a lot of moving pieces and the order that things are posted is important. Not all social media campaigns replace the current outgoing social media content. It is valuable to have a calendar and schedule to see the how to integrate the campaign into the regularly scheduled content.
Step #6 – Analytics
Keep track of your numbers! Use your set campaign metrics and goals to prioritize your analytics. Keeping track of a campaign’s data and analytics will help you to measure the campaign’s success. It is also important to help you learn more about your customers and marketing channels.
What elements of a social media campaign do you think are most important?
