Social Media Marketing: Are You Doing it Right?

It may be that I am just some sort of marketing nerd, but I really do keep a mental collection of marketing pieces that I just adore. Be it commercials, print ads, or billboards, I seem to have a running catalog of advertisements that spoke to me in one way or another. Sure, it has its negatives…I mean I’m the friend that refuses to fast-forward through commercials and will post a link to a funny advertisement on your Facebook timeline, but my friends are used to it. I like to think it has become one of my uniquely annoying yet endearing traits!

So lucky for all of you, I am sharing two of my favorite social media marketing campaigns with you! I’ll be spotlighting these brands with great social media channels, and telling you my favorite channel of theirs. This doesn’t mean that they don’t excel on all platforms, I’m just sharing my favorite from their collection.

Starbucks (Facebook)

Encompassing in incredible amount of web real estate, Starbucks spreads it brand communication through a network of social media accounts in each country. Visiting Thailand? Join the community of coffee lovers in Thailand as the Facebook page reaches upwards of 350,000 “likes”. The sheer size of the company’s web presence is enough to make it a success, but Starbucks isn’t stopping there. In addition to a multinational build-out of Facebook accounts, Starbucks is creating a sharing an incredible amount of vibrant and relevant content on their company pages.

From great photos, to recipes, to engaging videos, Starbucks creates and distributes content that its customers really care about. I know we have all hear this principle many times over, but seeing it in action is pretty cool. Because they invite their customers to engage with them via their Facebook page, they are able to use social media to build brand awareness and customer loyalty. On a related note, Starbucks does a really great job responding to customer comments and wall posts. As they communicate back and forth with their followers, the company is able to humanize the brand and take the first steps toward building long-term, meaningful relationships with their customers.

Etsy (Pinterest)

I admit that I have an unhealthy relationship with Pinterest. Basically, I spend entirely too much time on Pinterest-both professionally and personally. I’m telling you this as a preface, because I like to consider myself somewhat of a Pinterest officianado. I don’t claim to be an expert on many things, but when it comes to Pinterest, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I’ve made it my business to know the difference between the three. So take it from me- when I say someone has a good Pinterest, he/she/it definitely does.

On that note, Etsy is doing some really great things with Pinterest. Coined as a “marketplace we make together”, Etsy has integrated so much of its functionality with Pinterest that is has almost made (or customized) an entirely unique Etsy experience on the site. One of the best Etsy tools on Pinterest, from a user standpoint, is the attribution icon. Each time someone pins something from Etsy’s site, this cute little “E” icon is attached to the pin to insure that the artist/crafter/creator is credited for his/her work. This makes Pinterest a safe place for Etsy users (both buyers and sellers) to share products. This functionality, in conjunction with the “Pin It” button being fully integrated into Etsy’s own site, encourages all web visitors to engage with each other and with the brand through social media. By adding these almost intuitive conveniences, Etsy has taken huge steps to foster a brand community through Pinterest.

In addition to the features Etsy has worked with Pinterest to implement, the company’s content strategy on Pinterest is brilliant. How can you organize such a diverse group of user who are all interested in different product categories, price levels, and cultural trends? Invite them all to share their own personal preferences, of course! While continuing to showcase the variety of items available in their online marketplace, Etsy invites special “guest pinners” to showcase their own products, favorite purchases, and wish list items. By incorporating their users in the content creation process, Etsy is not only able to widen the scope of type of things they share, but also invite users to interact with each other and each other’s products in an incredible way. Community promotion efforts, new perspective, an overall great brand image, all the result of a creative and effective social media strategy on Pinterest.

So these are some of my favorite brands on social media, and a brief explanation of what makes them so great. Do you have a piece of marketing or advertising that you hate to admit that you loved? Please share it in the comments below…I’m always looking for more great stuff to share (spam) my coworkers, friend, and family with.

Also, I can’t stress enough how valuable social media is and has become. I love that it allows me to feel close to the brands I absolutely cannot live without. IF you’re looking to do something similar for your business, Small Screen Producer does offer social media setup and campaign strategy. Let us know or comment below if you’d like help brainstorming, we’ll gladly help.

For more social media marketing tips, download “Top 10 Benefits of Social Media Marketing”.