Thanks to its interactive nature, social media is one of the most popular channels for promoting business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing campaigns.
You or your agency clients can promote branded content, engage with customers, and advertise its services, all in one place.
When done well, social media marketing campaigns grab the attention of your followers and make it impossible not to interact, and if your social media goal is brand awareness (that translates into engagement rates), you have hit the jackpot.
Three campaign elements have gained popularity over the past few years - transparency, social responsibility, and user-generated content.
Campaigns with either of these three have seen success for brands, big or small, and we've collected some examples that will help you come up with your unique approach:
1. Social media transparency
In the ever-changing world of social media, the once-hidden barrier between brands and consumers has disappeared. Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, expect more than just products or services from the brands they interact with; they desire a genuine connection. Transparency has become a crucial element that bridges the gap between a brand's image and consumers' expectations.
Transparency is vital for brands on social media as it builds credibility and trust and nurtures long-term relationships with consumers. It helps to humanize the brand and establish a deeper connection with consumers. Millennials and Gen Z value transparency and actively seek out companies that align with their values.
In today's conscious and socially aware era, a brand's transparency is closely examined and extends beyond product quality to encompass its stance on social issues and honesty in marketing strategies.
Examples of effective transparency: Southwest Airlines and Ryanair
Two low-cost companies took a very different approach to being transparent. One ran a social media campaign, and the other one seems to be thriving on the negative feedback and includes it in its everyday memes.
Let's dive in.
Southwest Airlines - Transfarency
Southwest Airlines prides itself on being the world's largest low-cost carrier, and in 2020 they used a marketing campaign, "Transfarency", to prove it. This campaign perfectly captured the company's commitment to treating customers with honesty and keeping fares low. According to Kevin Krone, VP and Chief Marketing Officer at Southwest Airlines, being a low-fare airline is at the heart of their brand and business model, and they refuse to nickel and dime their customers.
With the campaign hashtag, #FeesDontFly, Southwest Airlines seizes the opportunity to showcase its value proposition of no hidden fees or extra costs. This campaign has garnered nearly five million likes on Facebook alone, setting Southwest Airlines apart from the competition and earning the unwavering trust of its loyal customers.
This social media campaign is a great inspiration for brand ready to share data and be transparent on how they do business.
Main learning: Transparency + a unique hashtag = great results, tons of engagement, and a massive amount of user-generated content.
Ryanair - The ongoing transparency
Now, this was in 2020, and TikTok still hasn't reshaped community management and how brands behave on social media.
Ryanair was one of the leading brands in this revolution.
Instead of running a one-time campaign. Ryanair mixed transparency and memes and completely revamped its social media calendar.
Their social media team skillfully utilises popular social media formats to address negative feedback, all while targeting the younger demographic with trendy language and social media trends. Throughout, they remain completely transparent about what they offer as a low-cost airline and what passengers can and cannot expect.
Main learning: Unless your brand is ready to completely rebrand and stand by it's new image, don't even think about experimenting with this type of social media transparency. On the other hand, take Ryanair as an example of how negative feedback can be publicly addressed and used to increase the transparency and finally loyalty.
2. Talk about what matters and emphasize social responsibility
Nowadays, consumers don't only care only about what brands offer them but their social responsibility. In fact, according to Markstein and Certus Insights:
- 70% of consumers want to know how the brands they support are addressing social and environmental issues.
- 46% pay close attention to these efforts when making purchase decisions.
Enter cause marketing.
8 Cause Marketing Examples that Will Inspire Your Social Media Strategy
Examples of effective social responsibility campaigns: Estée Lauder and The Body Shop
Estée Lauder - #TimeToEndBreastCancer
As a part of their 2021 Breast Cancer Campaign, they launched a new social media call-to-action using the hashtags #TimeToEndBreastCancer and #ELCdonates. These easy-to-implement hashtags encouraged supporters worldwide to raise awareness and funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).
Source: @esteelauder
Even though Estée Lauder is not a healthcare organisation, they transferred their influence to social media platforms to continue raising health awareness.
And if you're wondering if it had any genuine impact, aside from collecting funds for lifesaving research, education, and medical services, here's an impressive fact for you:
"Although we have already made great strides against this disease, as breast cancer mortality rates have decreased in the U.S. by 40% among women since 1989 because of earlier detection and improved treatment, our work is not yet done." Estée Lauder Companies
The Body Shop - The ongoing social responsibility
When you think of The Body Shop, the first things that come to mind are their commitment to organic products, their strong stance against animal cruelty, and their dedication to mental health awareness.
The Body Shop not only runs occasional campaigns to support causes they deeply care about, but they also have a content pillar in their social media strategy that regularly promotes the causes they believe in.
3. Celebrate your customers by sharing user-generated content
Contests are a fantastic way to gather user-generated content, but I highly recommend incorporating a long-term social media campaign that consistently brings in the most valuable content out there.
By sharing organically obtained user-generated content, you can boost loyalty by bringing joy to the individuals whose content you're showcasing. It also gives others a glimpse into how genuine users truly feel about your brand!
Example of effective user-generated campaign: Sephora
Sephora - #SephoraSquad
Sephora's hashtag campaign, #SephoraSquad, has become a powerful tool for the brand to discover and engage with talented makeup influencers while also gathering valuable user-generated content. By utilising this campaign, Sephora has been able to tap into the creativity and expertise of its customers, turning them into brand advocates and ambassadors.
The #SephoraSquad campaign encourages makeup enthusiasts and influencers from all backgrounds to showcase their skills and share their unique beauty looks using Sephora products. By using the campaign hashtag, users have the opportunity to be noticed by Sephora's social media team and potentially be selected as a member of the #SephoraSquad.
Being part of the #SephoraSquad not only gives influencers recognition and exposure, but it also provides them with exclusive opportunities to collaborate with Sephora on various projects, such as product launches, tutorials, and events. This collaboration not only benefits the influencers by expanding their reach and credibility, but it also strengthens Sephora's connection with its customers by featuring real people who genuinely love and use their products.
Wrapping up
No matter if you're running a short-term or a long-term campaign, make sure to include one of these components. I chose them because they help you achieve multiple goals. They all contribute to increasing loyalty, building stronger relationships with your social media following, and showcasing your brand in the best possible way, all while achieving those business KPIs.
Now that you're familiar with these secret ingredients, be sure to align your campaign plan with measurable KPIs! The Sendible team is always here to cheer you on and can't wait to witness all the amazing things you'll accomplish.
