Social media is a crucial component to any experiential marketing campaign’s success. The role that social media plays in brand activation marketing varies. Not only can social media be used to drum up excitement for the experiential marketing campaign, but social tools can also help create a buzz around the brand and could ultimately be used to garner user-generated content (UGC). There are many reasons why an experiential marketing campaign should include a robust social media plan. Here are three social media strategies that effectively support brand activation efforts.
The first way to harness the power of social media is to create an Instagrammable moment during the brand activation. Having an Instagram-ready wall or backdrop not only appeals to consumers that are looking to take a quick picture to document the moment, of course. But there's also a more strategic, underlying reason.
Every time a picture snapped at the activation gets posted on social media, the brand—and activation—gets more eyes on it. In addition, brands can also repurpose the content posted on social media by their consumers and include it on the company’s social media platforms. This is beneficial as user-generated content is largely considered to be more genuine.
Inviting influencers to your brand activation is critical to maximizing social media reach. In addition to this, you’ll want to be sure that you choose the right influencer for the job. Influencer marketing is experiencing serious growth this year, and brands must harness the power of influencers.
Consumers listen to influencers—and take their recommendations into account. 14% of people ages 18 to 24 and 11% of millennials bought something within the last six months, all because of an influencer’s recommendation.
Inviting influencers to brand activations offers them an opportunity to show off what a brand is all about, and in addition, the company reaps the benefits of their following. As a result, there are again more eyes on the brand.
The easiest way to compile all of the user-generated content that will be attained as a result of an experiential marketing campaign is by creating and using a custom hashtag. Why is user-generated content so vital? Because 60% of consumers believe it to be the most authentic form of content, that’s why.
If a company decides to use a custom hashtag for an event, ensure it's communicated to attendees so they can use it. In addition, you can even mention that the company will repost the best user-generated content garnered from the event on their socials.
Ready to put these social strategies for use for your next experiential marketing campaign? Reach out to Inspira Marketing Group today to learn more!
SOURCES:
Social Media Strategies for Experiential Marketing Campaigns | ATN Event Staffing
How To Use Influencers in Experiential Marketing | Grin
5 Reasons Influencers Absolutely Impact Your Business Growth | Upfluence
Why UGC Is The Key To Authenticity & Consumer Influence | Stackla