There are three overall reasons to conduct an online campaign. In the text below, we’ll explain each scenario for you. Then, we'll give you an example of a successful local campaign that you can follow when it comes time for your business to launch a campaign of its own.
Note: Social media is only one of the methods you can use to promote your product, brand, or launch. A few other methods include optimizing your website and content, SEO, and pay per click ads on Google and other search engines.
Monetization Campaign
Chick-fil-A fans may not know it, but this is a method of word-of-mouth advertising.
A monetization campaign’s intent is to get your customers to generate sales from existing customers or fans. The best way to do this is by encouraging your ideal customers to promote and advocate for your business.
Chick-fil-A
If you haven’t heard by now, cows around the world want you to eat more chicken, or so says Chick-fil-A. On Cow Appreciation Day, Chick-fil-A promised a free entree to any customer dressed like a cow. Hundreds of people witnessed posts of diners dressed up on social media as did hundreds of people witness their costumes in public. The core of a monetization campaign is to generate revenue from existing leads. Although Chick-fil-A may have lost money on that day by giving away free entrees, customers along with people who noticed their customers dressed as cows, are likely to come back and spend money at the restaurant.
Fun Fact: In 2017, 1.8 million people participated in Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A.
Engagement Campaign
An engagement campaign’s purpose is to create brand advocates and get people involved with your brand. The key component in this is to gain excitement that will become profit.
St. Augustine Police Department
St. Augustine Police Department's #lipsyncchallenege Facebook post. Photo credit: St. Augustine Police Department.Recently, the St. Augustine Police Department launched a campaign with the hopes that they would gain a larger audience. On July 10, 2018, the SAPD posted on Facebook that their department would compete in the #lipsyncingchallenge. However, they also told followers that the only way they would compete was if their Facebook Page reached 9,000 following and likes. In only a few days, their page (which had roughly 7,000 follows and likes to begin with) gained the 2,000 follows and likes they wanted. They engaged followers with the Facebook challenge and reached their goal of 9,000 follows and likes.
If you follow them, chances are you’ve witnessed another one of their social media campaigns in action, the #9PMRoutine. Although this is more of a monetization campaign (because it generates revenue - or in this case safety), it gets a lot of engagement on Facebook – which results in more locked cars and crime-free nights.
Watch the St. Augustine Police Department's #lipsyncingchallenge here.
Acquisition Campaign
The lounge area of newly renovated The Hyppo Coffee Bar.
The purpose of an acquisition campaign is to acquire new prospects and customers. The key elements needed to execute this are awareness and converting old customers into new customers.
The Hyppo Coffee Bar
Although The Hyppo Cafe (located on 312) has always sold coffee, in May they decided to put an emphasis on coffee beverages and rename the restaurant The Hyppo Coffee Bar. This satisfies the conversion element of their campaign; we can assume the emphasis on coffee beverages was to acquire new prospects from old customers.
On May 4, The Hyppo announced on Facebook and Instagram, that they were closing for renovations and rebranding. They followed up with educational content provided in another post. Additionally, they let the community know why they were making these changes and how important our support is to them. Finally, a week later they teased followers with a photo of a recently painted mural inside the new cafe.
This is great information, but my company doesn’t market online.
We agree some of the best advertising methods include print material like pamphlets, brochures, billboards, and direct mail. But, online presence is increasing every year. In fact, according to Pew Research, 77% of Americans go online every day; additionally, 8% of that group goes online only once a day; in the last three years, “constant” online activity in the US has increased by 5%. So, although we promote the old-fashioned offline marketing, it is just as important to reach your ideal customers online.
Tip For Success
While website platforms like WIX and Squarespace seem worthwhile at first, there are serious risks associated with them. For example, did you know that these platforms use template designs? This means that the versatility and functionality of your site is extremely limited. Additionally, the software they use is “proprietary” meaning that the brand (like WIX or Squarespace) fundamentally own the abilities of your site. So, if years down the road you’d like to add an e-commerce function, you’d not only have to move your site elsewhere (because they don’t have e-commerce capabilities) but you’d also have to start from scratch. Starting off, the initial costs of these platforms won’t burn a hole in your pocket, but they will cost you more in the long run.
Mission Statement
Our mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – running their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable home front service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success. If you are looking to increase your business’ visibility give us a call at 904-867-4112 or contact us today.
Sharing and re-posting this blog is encouraged. Please credit Old City Web Services when sharing. Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information on Old City Web Services Blog. Photo Credits: Old City Web Services, St. Augustine Police Department, Instagram
