5 Steps to a Successful Social Media Promotion

One of the easiest ways to snag a mass influx of followers is running a promotion on your social media networks. But contests, giveaways, sweepstakes, and the like can often bring in uninterested consumers merely attracted by a freebie.

“It seems like people that are short-sighted on this thinking are trying to get that hit,  that burst of fans,” said Jason Cormier, co-founder of social media agency Room 214, in the latest mediabistro.com AvantGuild article. “It’s what we refer to as the ‘placement crash,’ where if you look at the Web analytics of a PR hit what you’ll see is you’ve got the awesome spike, and then 48 hours later, it’s completely dead and you did nothing with that traffic afterwards.”

For tips on crafting a promotion that will attract the right audience in the first place, read these Do’s and Don’ts of Running Social Media Promotions:

Social media promotions (contests, giveaways, sweepstakes, and the like) are one of the easiest ways to grow your networks. The ultimate goal? Higher engagement levels, return on investment, conversion rates, and responses to calls to action.

Yet, sometimes, behind that seemingly large network is an audience of uninterested consumers (cue cricket chorus) who were merely attracted by the incentive or freebie. The challenge for brands is to craft a promotion that will attract the right audience in the first place, or make sure those who only wanted the discount or chance at winning a prize still have a place in informing overall future marketing strategy.

RELATED:

• Three Ways To Prepare For The Possibility Your Campaign Goes Viral
• Kotex Uses Pinterest to Generate Social Media Buzz
• Pinterest Drives Traffic to Other Social Networks
• LinkedIn Identifies Four Industries for Career Seekers to Avoid, Makes a PurchasE