Andy's Answers: How social helped Microsoft make the Windows 8 launch its biggest ever - SmartBrief

All Articles Marketing Brands & Campaigns Andy's Answers: How social helped Microsoft make the Windows 8 launch its biggest ever

Andy’s Answers: How social helped Microsoft make the Windows 8 launch its biggest ever

2 min read

By Andy Sernovitz 05/26/16

Brands & Campaigns

Microsoft’s Windows 8 launch was the biggest the company has done in a long time — and social media played a big role in it. To pull it off, the company had to create a unified front for a huge global brand, nurture an interested audience with everyday content and, most importantly, let the big news speak for itself.

In their presentation at SocialMedia.org‘s BlogWell conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft Senior Marketing Manager Jessica Jensen and Social Media Manager Rob Wolf explained how they handled posting and publishing fresh content daily as well as announcing the big stuff.

Some highlights from their presentation:

  • Be self-aware. You can start creating your bread-and-butter content when you understand what other people know you for and what you want to be known for. Wolf says this should be your “North Star” for content.
  • Let others carry your torch. Proactively look for and do something with the little endorsements you receive from your fans. A simple retweet can be a win for both parties and create content that people love to share.
  • Create unity. Microsoft went from the chaos of 161 rogue accounts to one official Facebook page, analytics, set of KPIs and content calendar for 50 countries. The brand’s unified social media playbook set the stage for its massive Windows 8 launch.

You can see Jensen and Wolf’s presentation below.

If you like this case study, see more great social media case studies like it live at SocialMedia.org’s BlogWell conference April 17 in New York.