Many seasoned marketers are all too eager to leave the social media marketing to younger professionals. The ever-evolving social media space can feel daunting to traditional marketers accustomed to broadcast and print marketing. But while the technology is different, the basic building blocks of marketing still hold true.
When creating a marketing campaign delivered through any media, you must…
- Identify your target market. In traditional marketing, we get to know the target market through quantitative or qualitative market research. With social media marketing, we can get to know the target by “listening” on the social media platform. What are customers saying about the product? About what they want? About how they use the product? Same questions, new media.
- Create relevant messaging. In traditional marketing, the development of the message can be a very long, intensive process. With social media marketing, the creative development cycle is usually much faster. Some of the most effective social media campaigns will build on current trending topics or hashtags.
- Measure your campaign results. With traditional marketing, effectiveness can be measured by reach and frequency. With social media marketing, engagement is king because the platforms are inherently interactive.
Let’s take a few examples of how these marketing fundamentals apply in a social media context.
Oreo seizes social moment at 2013 Super Bowl
Oreo’s 2013 Super Bowl social media campaign spoke to a large audience at the right time. When the lights went out at the Superdome during the 2013 Super Bowl game, Oreo saw an opportunity and tweeted, “You can still dunk in the dark.”
By contributing to an ongoing trending topic, Oreo received nearly 16,000 retweets. The now-famous blackout tweet demonstrates how relevant messaging can reach a targeted audience and ignite viral engagement.
Yeti Coolers engages Facebook fans
Social media can also improve the playing field for lesser known brands. Igloo and Coleman are strong brand names in the cooler market, but the (once) lesser known Yeti now has cooler sales revenue that rivals its competitors. Yeti makes rugged coolers for those who have a passion for outdoor activities. The company’s social media strategy speaks to this audience in their language. On its Facebook page, Yeti regularly shares imagery of its product featured in the fun and adventure of the great outdoors.
The company’s more than 207,000 Facebook fans routinely engage with these posts. In fact, it’s quite common for the company to get 500 likes per Facebook post. That works out to an engagement rate of 0.24%. Compare that to Disney, one of the most recognized brands in the world, which gets about 35,000 likes per Facebook post. Disney has 48.4 million Facebook fans, an engagement rate of 0.07%. Yeti may have a smaller presence, but it is more effectively engaging its audience.
You’ve heard this marketing refrain before: Deliver the right message for the right audience at the right time. It is as relevant today as it has always been.
Social media hasn’t reinvented marketing: If anything, it underscores that the basics of marketing are as valuable as ever.
Katherine Hunter-Blyden has 20 years experience in marketing and is the managing director of KHB Marketing Group. KHB creates marketing strategies, messaging and collateral for start-ups and small businesses. Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn or on Twitter @khunterblyden.