It is undeniable that the introduction of social media has changed the world. Where once was it a rare sight to see electronics lying around, much less using social media for purposes other than personal pleasure, it is now customary. Look around. Everyone has their head down with their thumb in constant repetitive motion- of going up and down across the glassy surface of the tiny device in their hand.
Many use social media for entertainment purpose, and it was first developed for that particular reason. However, nowadays others use it for their business purpose and this is what we’re here to talk about – Social Media Marketing.
What is Social Media Marketing?
Social Media Marketing is essentially the use of social media platforms to promote a product or service. Once, social media platforms were used to connect people from far-off locations of different time zones i.e. to maintain relationships separated by distance. But in recent times, as mentioned by SocialConnection, these platforms have been equipped with numerous features which support business purposes. For example, Facebook and Instagram are both equipped with data analytic tools for businesses to keep track of their progress and how well they are maintaining their relationships with their audiences.
And this proved to be a very effective tool with many businesses soaring as a result. Social Media has not only successfully been utilized to sharing of information but also have been one of the tools that are most widely used to popularized new cultures and trends. Some of the popular brands that you may be familiar with are also on board with this one; utilizing social media marketing to their fullest, and this has proven to be worthwhile. Here are some examples of viral social media campaigns:
- Nike:
The #makeitcount campaign led by Casey Neistat resulted is over 1.5million reach on Youtube and is one definite viral social media campaign by Nike. By tricking Nike, Casey and Max shot the YouTube video by traveling 34,000 miles, visiting 16 cities in 13 countries on 3 continents. But the result was definitely worth it for Nike themselves.
- Coca-Cola:
Just like Nike, Coca-Cola also used social media. Heard of #ShareACoke before? This campaign started in Australia and managed to successfully increase their sales by over 7% that year. Social Media paired with personalization, it is not surprising how successful their campaign turned out to be.
- Olay:
By hiring influencers including iiSuperwomanii Lily Singh, Olay popularized the hashtag #faceanything. With a very powerful message and a strong aim to encourage women to be bold and fearless, this campaign not only deeply resonated with their viewer but also was one of the most successful social media campaign.
Whether its a shoe product, face product or even consumable products, social media can no longer be denied as one of the most powerful tool for a marketer. Yes, this means that we can no longer turn our backs against social media.
Times have changed. Once used only as a form of entertainment but is now used to create trends, messages, education and even inspirations. Needless to say, with its all-in-one package, as a marketer, no matter what industry you may be in- you have to do social media marketing.
