The Situation:
Our client, an honor society for middle and high school students, sought to enhance visibility and increase membership among its target audience through a strong and engaging public relations effort. The client wanted a well-defined social media marketing plan that would increase its Twitter and Facebook followings, using the its national event as a central focus to drive engagement.
The Results:
C. Blohm & Associates (CB&A) developed a comprehensive, multi-faceted social media marketing campaign that focused on enhancing engagement among the organization and its members before, during and after the national tournament. This effective strategy added more than 1,200 Twitter followers and drew approximately 600 Facebook likes over the six-week campaign period.
Determining Social Media Needs
CB&A’s first step was to develop a timeline outlining social media content to rollout over the six-week campaign. The social media marketing campaign detailed specific tactics to implement across all social media outlets, as well as content tailored specifically for Facebook and Twitter. For example: Highlight local attractions where the event was held.
Creating Content
Within the strong mix of suggested Twitter and Facebook posts, CB&A drafted content so the client could increase frequency and consistency of posts, gain Facebook likes and Twitter followers, boost engagement with followers and encourage social sharing.
CB&A provided recommendations to increase engagement with the target audience. This included posting to Facebook and Twitter on a consistent basis, sharing content that encouraged replies and comments, as well as previewing what students could expect from the tournament, fostering anticipation. The campaign included suggestions for recommended suggested hashtags, tweets and posts to be deployed during the event that encouraged engagement. For example attendees were asked to submit photos of the activities they were participating in at the event. A wide range of content led to a social media marketing campaign that succeeded in attracting new followers and producing deeper interaction with them.
Twitter Results
- Followers before campaign: 1999
- Followers gained over the national tournament week: nearly 800
- Followers after entire campaign: 3,270
- Added 1,271 followers
Facebook Results
- Facebook likes before conference: 15,075
- Facebook likes gained over the national tournament week: nearly 400
- Facebook likes after entire campaign: 15,629
- Added 554 likes
This was a highly successful social media marketing campaign. Over six weeks, the increase of Twitter followers and Facebook likes surpassed both CB&A’s and the client’s expectations and goals. By creating a social media identity and increasing the members of the client’s online community, CB&A helped the event gain visibility, and enhanced the organization’s relationship with its members.