With an excess of 4.5 billion people using the internet globally, the best place to run a marketing campaign is on social media. Social media campaigns are like the fuel of your marketing efforts, and when done right, they’ll provide an explosion of interest in your brand.
However, with so many brands vying for digital attention, it’s more important than ever to be inventive with your marketing.
So, what makes a marketing campaign successful in today’s environment, and how can you build one of your own?
This article will look at 10 successful social media marketing campaign examples from globally recognized brands and why they worked. They’ll provide you with the motivation to build your own viral creative social media campaign!
There are numerous venues where you may get your brand’s distinctive message in front of your audience, ranging from Facebook and Instagram to YouTube and TikTok.
And many of these platforms have hyper-targeted marketing solutions, allowing you to reach the precise correct audience with your content and stretch your marketing budget further.
What Is A Social Media Campaign?
A social media campaign occurs when a company uses digital platforms to help them achieve its marketing objectives.
It works on any platform with a social networking component. As a search engine rather than a social networking platform, a Google ad, for example, would not be called a social media campaign.
On the other hand, a social media campaign would be a planned marketing effort using Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Snapchat.
It’s different from regular social media material in that it’s usually created for a specific purpose and runs for a specified amount of time. It might be paid or organic, but it’s usually done with more attention and measurability than regular posts.
What Makes A Social Media Campaign Creative?
Content creation is a vital element in a contemporary social media marketing strategy. So, what’s the goal of your social media campaign? To connect with customers to sell a service or product, right? And the best way to do that is not only with an innovative social media campaign but also by having people share it!
So, to make that happen, you have to design a creative social media campaign that’s shareable.
Word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the best methods for sharing your content. However, even though most businesses engage in some form of content marketing, only a tiny percentage can create viral material that users share.
Without this level of viral engagement, your social content can hardly fulfill its true purpose. Therefore, creating a creative social media marketing campaign is key!
Examples Of Creative Social Media Campaigns
So, if you’re wondering how to create rockstar social media campaigns, we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a list of creative social media campaign examples to help get you on the road to a successful campaign and skyrocketing your brand.
Creative Fashion Social Media Campaign Examples
1. Anthropologie – Open Call Campaign
Which platform?
Anthropologie ran this creative social media campaign on Instagram, and it was a HUGE success! Talk about a great way to create viral content and have your followers promote your brand. It’s genius!
What did they do?
This is a pretty awesome campaign because it ties directly into everyone’s desire for 15 minutes of fame.
Anthropologie conducted an Instagram ad encouraging people to enter an Instagram contest to win a chance to model for the company.
Users were required to use the hashtag #AnthroOpenCall to submit images of themselves wearing Anthropologie clothing.
Why it worked?
This creative social campaign works because of its high reward and competitive element. Anthropologie provided their target population with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
In addition, they raised brand awareness by encouraging their followers to submit images of themselves wearing Anthropologie clothing on social media, exposing their brand to new shoppers.
Core takeaway
Using your fan base to help generate content and awareness solidifies your brand story and engages your users personally, undoubtedly having them purchase more products.
Here’s an example of one excited Anthropologie customer who entered the Open Call and was chosen to walk in the fashion show!
2. Prada at Milan Fashion Week
Which platform?
TikTok
What did they do?
Prada collaborated with TikTok star Charli D’Amelio (one of the most-followed personalities on the platform with 101.8 million followers) for Milan Fashion Week in February 2020.
@charlidamelio @prada #pradafw22 ♬ original sound – charli d’amelio
They invited Charli to the fashion show and gave her a variety of outfits, all of which were Prada. Charli was asked to share videos of the event with her millions of Instagram followers in exchange. Charli filmed herself at the event dancing in her Prada costumes to popular TikTok sound bytes while tagging Prada in 6-7 different videos.
Why it worked
TikTok marketing is a fantastic way to advertise your company while collaborating with well-known influencers. Especially if you’re trying to raise awareness among a younger audience. And Prada pulled it off flawlessly.
Charli’s platform is well-known for her dance videos, which showcase her talent and distinct personality. So, Prada allowed her to promote the company in her unique way: through dancing videos.
Core takeaway
Viral engagement is a very effective way for brands to reach new demographics. Working with influencers is a great way to accomplish this.
Creative recipe and health social media campaign examples
3. Qdoba: Queso Bliss Contest
Which platform?
Qdoba ran this creative social media campaign on multiple platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.
What did they do?
Who doesn’t enjoy good queso? That’s precisely what Qdoba thought when they introduced its Queso Bliss campaign, which allowed fans to vote on which of their limited-edition quesos was the greatest.
In a series of polls, fans on Qdoba’s various social media outlets could vote on which queso was their favorite. Then, on a specified day, the winning queso would be free.
Why it worked
Innovative social media campaigns like this one are successful because of their capacity to engage fans across numerous media and include them in the decision-making process.
Because of these updates, fans were kept engaged and pulling for their favorite queso. In addition, users were more invested in the outcome since they were kept up to date regularly.
Core takeaway
Contests that allow your audience to have a say in what your company does make them feel more connected to your brand. Qdoba may have simply let them pick their favorite cheese dip, but their willingness to listen undoubtedly created lifelong fans.
4. RYU: One More Rep For Mental Health
Which platform?
Multiple platforms
What did they do?
Customers were invited to either visit their physical site or record themselves swinging a kettlebell back and forth on camera. In addition, RYU would give to organizations that promote mental health awareness for every rep they did.
Why it worked
Because RYU sells athletic clothing, its target market would be active people. Therefore, they used the information they gathered about their target demographic to entice people to join their challenge.
It also aided RYU by increasing foot traffic to their physical locations and increasing social media conversations about their brand.
What’s the best part? They were attempting to raise funds for a worthy cause.
Creative body care brand social media campaign examples
5. Dove Project #Showus
Which platform?
What did they do?
Project #ShowUS is the name of Dove’s most recent social media campaign. In this creative social media marketing campaign, Dove teamed with Getty Images, Girlgaze, and women worldwide to build a photo collection to bust beauty clichés after learning that 70% of women don’t feel represented in media and advertising.
Why it worked
It is a social media advertisement that promotes inclusivity, natural beauty, and a good body image.
Core takeaway
It’s all about the personal connection on social media. You may build an authentic rapport with your target market by bonding over shared beliefs, just like Dove did.
This is a powerful strategy: 77 percent of customers prefer to buy from companies that reflect their beliefs. So don’t be scared to launch a social media marketing campaign centered on a theme related to your company’s mission or vision.
6. Lush – #LushLife Campaign
Which platform?
What did they do?
Lush reshares articles highlight consumers and share climate and eco-friendly news, which helps grow their network.
Why it worked
It’s easy to find thousands of gorgeous photographs that their community has created, including their employees on how products are made and used, by searching their #lushlife hashtag. However, they want to be viewed as part of a more significant movement.
Core takeaway
This type of marketing is common among many businesses, and it’s a terrific example of how to use existing material as viral social media content.
But, surprisingly, Lush has never paid for celebrity endorsements, television commercials, or social media post boosts; their whole business has been developed through organic means.
Proof that you don’t always have to spend money on a successful social media campaign.
Creative photography social media campaigns
7. Apple’s ShotOniPhone
Which platform?
The campaign employs various strategies, including online and signage advertising and creating an original video shot on the company’s smartphone lineup. But, the way Apple has leveraged user-generated content on Instagram is arguably the most stunning aspect of the ad.
What did they do?
Unpaid contributors develop and publish user-generated content or UGC using #shotoniphone.
Customers, fans, or followers who support the company with original content such as photographs, videos, blog articles, and social media posts are considered contributors.
Why it worked
Users of Apple’s iPhone shared viral content promoting the smartphones and broadening Apple’s reach.
Core takeaway
User-generated content is a terrific method to engage your target audience, use the power of social proof, and find fantastic content with little effort. When people promote you to their followers, your business will be exposed to a larger audience. But that’s not all.
When brands share user-generated content, the postings receive 28 percent greater interaction than company-created content. And ads that feature user-generated content click-through rates are higher.
Creative travel brand social media campaign examples
8. Go Lake Havasu
Which platform?
Youtube
What did they do?
Lake Havasu, Arizona, teamed up with Matador Network, a travel media business, to create a video campaign that promotes the location as an adventure escape. Two filmmakers were sent on a journey and documented their adventures on YouTube as travel vlogs.
Why it worked
The campaign generated over 1.8 million impressions and aided in promoting Lake Havasu as a leading adventure destination in the American Southwest.
Core takeaway
Video content is always an extremely engaging marketing tactic. It captures the viewer in a way that tells a story and inspires them to want more—Genius marketing strategies for travel-related businesses.
9. Hawaii Tourism – #LetHawaiiHappen
Which platform?
What did they do?
The Hawaii Tourism Authority created the hashtag #LetHawaiiHappen to encourage visitors to share their favorite travel memories. Hawaii made use of user-generated content to increase interest in visiting the state. In addition, the tourism board frequently reposts the content on its pages.
Why it worked
This is another example of how engaging your followers and fans to create content for you works to your advantage. UGC or user-generated content is a strategy anyone can use.
Core takeaway
User-generated content is an awesome way to engage your target audience, leverage the power of social proof, and discover great material with minimal effort. In addition, your business will be exposed to a much broader audience if individuals promote you to their following. Truly innovative social media campaigns that work!
Summary of key strategies for creating an innovative social media campaign
Innovative campaigns on social media are an excellent method to promote your business, engage your target audience, and, eventually, increase sales.
But, remember, the goal of social media campaigns is to build relationships. So here are some key strategies that should be implemented when creating an innovative social media campaign.
They accomplished something out of the box.
Been there done that marketing strategies aren’t going to WOW your followers. But, if you can come up with an innovative, creative, and out-of-the-box idea, it will captivate your fans and make them more likely to act on it and even share it.
Interactive in-person event
Some of the businesses in our examples centered their campaigns around interactive in-person events. This is a great social media marketing strategy because it brings the customer to you, inspires them to capture videos or images, and ultimately share the content. Again, this is a win for you because they promote your brand, and you’ll reach a larger audience.
Some brought influencers into the campaign.
Another excellent strategy in social media campaigns and marketing is to connect your brand with an influencer. Again, this allows you to reach a larger audience that may have otherwise never had an interest in your brand.
Generated unbelievable engagement
The more engagement you generate with your effective social media campaigns, the better your results. It would be best if you designed a creative, eye-catching, exciting campaign with a purpose.
Use social media management tools.
One essential thing that you must not forget when creating an innovative social media campaign is to use social media management tools like Tailwinds Pinterest features page and Instagram features page.
Using Tailwinds social media management tools will help you plan, schedule, and design posts. Instagram schedulers like Tailwind make planning and designing successful social media campaigns a breeze. But don’t just rely on Instagram to market your brand. Other social platforms can generate a variety of interest and more reach, ultimately allowing your brand to grow.
Focus your efforts where your target audience spends their time. Using Pinterest for marketing is a game-changer in 2022. But YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Linkedin are great platforms to reach potential customers and generate sales. Successful social media campaigns can help to skyrocket your brand and business!
