Standing out in the social media landscape of 2022 requires creativity and a well-thought-out social media strategy. But with more competition than ever, it could be challenging to create content that will get noticed.
If you’re struggling to come up with a new social media campaign, you can take inspiration from some of the best social media campaigns. Find out what made them successful and use that information to create an effective social marketing plan.
Use their best practices to generate ideas and create content that will get results.
7 Creative Social Media Campaign Examples That Inspire Action
Running a winning campaign is not an easy task. It’s a combination of timing, creativity, and a little bit of research. Let’s take a closer look at the seven campaigns that made a splash and why they worked:
Red Bull’s Powerful Instagram Campaign
Instagram/ @rissmoore10
Since 1987, Red Bull has been an iconic energy drink, offering various flavors to cater to individual tastes. This year, they added another flavor to the brand’s range with a tropical-themed ‘Summer Edition,’ specifically for the Australian market.
Through an eye-catching yellow filter and images and videos capturing the summer vibe, Red Bull owned the #thissummer hashtag and went viral on Instagram. The campaign succeeded with over 1.2 million reach and a 10-point lift in top-of-mind awareness.
MoonPie’s Hilarious Twitter Campaign
Twitter/ MoonPie
MoonPie showed us that a bit of humor makes a big difference in B2B marketing. Their famous Twitter campaign was spot-on, original, and adored by their target audience enough to keep them engaged. With their witty brand voice, MoonPie made fun of their Super Bowl ad that can only be watched on gas station TVs.
The brand’s funny tweets went viral. So if you want to build a connection with your audience and get organic engagement, don’t be afraid to inject a little personality into your brand.
McDonald’s TikTok-Inspired Menu Hack Campaign
Facebook/ Mcdonald’s
TikTok has become a hub of money-saving tips and tricks, and McDonald’s took advantage of it with a genius social media campaign. They created a menu of fan-favorite combos like the Chicken Nugget Burger and the Double Cheeseburger with a Filet-o-Fish — all based on customer suggestions.
Some of their combos didn’t quite hit the spot, but the campaign was still a hit with users and the press. With this campaign, McDonald’s was able to engage with its audience in a way that was both fun and relevant to the audience.
Zoom’s Virtual Background Contest Campaign
Twitter/ @Zoom
In 2020, Zoom ran a creative user-generated content contest that challenged users to submit the best photos and videos of them using Zoom’s background filters.
Each month, a winner received a prize for Zoom branded merch, and the contest spread like wildfire. Zoom’s social media campaign was making rounds online, doubling their trial users, and hitting target conversions.
It worked because Zoom was able to tap into the increased use of Zoom for remote work and virtual meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also a fun and creative way for users to personalize their Zoom experience.
Maersk’s Data-Backed LinkedIn Campaign
Facebook/ Maersk
Maersk proved that analyzing data can make headway for your campaign. After discovering that LinkedIn was the go-to social media platform for most of their customers, Maersk grabbed the chance to create thought leadership content that is noteworthy for prospects and customers.
They added variety to their content with different topics such as ‘Together All the Way,’ ‘Maersk Life,’ and ‘Maersk Technology,’ and used hashtags and affiliate pages to highlight product categories and bring them together. Maersk guaranteed their content was always up to date and complete, and they even encouraged meaningful conversations along the way.
Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino Social Media Hit
Instagram/ @lularoesamandstina
In 2017, Starbucks created a colorful, Instagram-worthy beverage that coffee lovers couldn’t resist, the Unicorn Frappuccino. Bursting with vibrant colors, the limited-time offer quickly became a social media sensation.
Because of the drink’s “Instagrammable” appeal, customers were doing the advertising themselves by posting on their social media platforms, fueling nearly 155,000 social media posts and driving audiences to buy the drink before it sold out.
This allowed the brand to reach new customers and promote its other products — and it was all thanks to this dreamy cup of coffee.
Airbnb’s Facebook Live Social Media Campaign
Facebook/ Airbnb
Airbnb captivated its users with its “Experiences” feature for its Trips platform. They went all out with their social media campaign, taking viewers on a virtual adventure with a helmet-mounted camera using Facebook Live.
From the sizzling Venezuelan cooking in Miami to the waves of Cape Town and Los Angeles and admiring art in Paris, viewers got to experience the thrill of the journey right from the comfort of their own couches. Airbnb shook things up, creating an authentic and genuine connection with their audience that was out of this world.
Key Takeaways
If you need a little help to get your brand to stand out, get the best ideas from campaigns that made it to the top. Take a look at their strategies and see what worked for them.
When you’re ready to go all out with your campaign, make sure to switch to an Instagram business account to track your campaign’s metrics. With clever data-driven planning, you could be acing your social media campaign in no time.
An excellent social media strategy shows us that:
- Understanding your customers is key
- Social media campaigns do not have to be extravagant
- Messaging is crucial to engage users in your campaign
- Staying relevant is essential to capture your audience’s attention
- Having a brand voice can build connections with your audience
Ervin Kalemi
