9 Crucial Elements of a Successful Social Media Campaign
By: Keith Krach
Worldwide, the number of people who use social media will reach 2.5 billion by 2018. Of that total, nearly 2 billion actively spend time on Facebook — that’s nearly a quarter of the global population. In the United States, roughly 70 percent of people have a minimum of one profile for networking online. Facebook, as one might imagine, ranks atop the popularity list, followed by Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest in terms of daily users.
Various surveys have revealed interesting information on the demographics of social media use. For instance, teenagers favor Instagram over other platforms, while the college-educated tend to prefer Twitter. Perhaps because all of the activity that takes place on these sites, the statistics also point to the tremendous opportunity for marketing and business interactions.

One study, for instance, found that consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 typically first learn about a brand through some form of social media. Of those who have an enjoyable experience on these sites, more than 70 percent are motivated to refer the business to others in their circles.
As these statistics highlight, social media offers a full range of tools that can really benefit businesses. Because of this importance, entrepreneurs and business leaders should strive to develop and implement a social media marketing campaign from the outset. Here are a few key ways to approach such a campaign.
1. Identify objectives for going social
Businesses should always start with clearly-defined objectives when launching a new marketing campaign. Social media is a versatile tool, and leaders must identify how they want to utilize it to the company’s advantage. Why social media and not something else? Is it to spread brand awareness? Do you want to drive more traffic to your website? What will a successful social media campaign look like?
2. Refine your website
When businesses succeed with their social media campaigns, their profiles and posts lead people back to their websites. Consumers follow links because something piqued their interest, they want to know more, and they may be looking to make a purchase. The website should, therefore, function efficiently and reflect the company’s values before a social media campaign is launched in the first place.
3. Determine the best way to integrate strategies
Not only will a social media campaign integrate with a company’s website, it should also complement and collaborate with its other marketing strategies. The specifics will vary from one company to the next, but business leaders should strive to coordinate each method from the beginning. By aligning multiple strategies, the opportunities to promote the business across channels are endless.

4. Set branding goals
Because social media introduces customers to a brand, each page should reflect the desired image of the company and help create positive connections between potential buyers and the product. Part of this entails having appealing logos and catchy slogans. However, just as important are the ways in which the company responds to questions, comments, and concerns from page visitors and followers. All of these matters require goal-setting and a dedication to follow through.
5. Conduct market research
Evaluating the competition is a crucial step that every business takes — and continues to take — as the economy fluctuates. The same is true for social media marketing, as research can reveal key indicators on what works and what doesn’t based on the profiles of other companies. Engagement is the top metric to measure in this process.
6. Create a list of contacts
Setting goals for a social media campaign also requires determining the “who” in the equation, including age groups, people who fit certain hobbies and interests, etc. Business leaders should list the demographics they wish to reach and what connections they need to make in order to optimize their efforts. The answer to the “who” questions will further help with the selection of which platforms to utilize and which to avoid.
7. Commit to diversifying content
The easiest way to fail with social media marketing is to push out monotonous content, the kind that only highlights products or services. Business leaders need to establish a plan for diversifying their output so that they can better engage with consumers. This involves not only mixing up text, video, and graphics, but also varying the time of day posts occur as well as how often the account posts.

8. Assemble a social media team
While there are tools that allow companies to automate their social media activity, consumers can tell whether or not they are talking with a machine. However, running and keeping track of several platforms at once (think Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest) can literally be a full-time job, so companies should strive to build a team dedicated solely to their channels to keep them running optimally.
9. Remember it’s a two-way investment
Similar to how businesses compete for consumer dollars, they compete for attention on social media channels. Business leaders should remember that they’re essentially asking people to invest their free time in following their profiles, reading their posts, and watching their videos. The investment must go both ways in order to yield favorable returns.
