5 Social Media Campaign Strategies for Brand Activation

43% of consumers use social media to discover and compare brands. 36% use social media to purchase products or services. Brands cannot dissociate the role of social media for brand activation efforts as this number will keep increasing.  

Brand activation is any interaction by a brand to generate brand awareness and engage more targeted and loyal customers. Brand activation has become more critical these days as there are thousands of brands competing to get customers’ attention. For your business to stand out and attract customers, you will need to use interactive and effective methods. 

The American Marketing Association says brand activation is about bringing a brand to life. It usually includes several marketing strategies such as events, campaigns, and activities that provide in-person experiences and hands-on activities for people to participate in. 

But to make brand activations more engaging, meaningful, recognizable, and trustworthy, a brand must foster a more immersive experience. One of the keys to creating a more immersive experience is using social media for brand activation. 

It is not enough to simply have a digital presence. According to Zozimus, brands need to engage social media followers and convert them into participants who will make a difference for the brand.

Putting it simply, your brand needs to execute social media campaigns that utilize trending social media concepts that are really impactful in expanding its reach and increasing recognition. 

Here are some social media examples from Sprout Socials. You might consider using some of them to activate your brand using social media. 

Using User-Generated Content 

User-generated content, or UGC, is content about a brand but is created by people or customers, rather than the brand itself. Research from Nosto shows that 60% of people consider UGC to be the most authentic and influential form of content. Meaning social media content and reviews from friends and family are the most impactful in determining purchase decisions. 

Marketers and brands should be more aware of UGC and use it to leverage brands and customer relationships. One of the key tips is to publicly acknowledge the creators of the content by reposting or posting their work on the brand's social media account. Even better, invite them to be a part of the customer advocate community.

If you are able to build strong relationships with customers that create content about your brand, they are more likely to continue engaging with your brand. They are also more likely to shop again with your brand. 

Share the Brand’s Value with Customers

Recent data shows that nowadays, customers are more likely to engage with brands that are brave to take a public stand and have a strong opinion on significant issues. Hence, you need to consider a social media campaign that captures and shares the core values of your brand. 

You can execute this campaign by creating a story regarding the issues and where your brand stands. Once that is done, create specific hashtags to be used by the public or customers that share the same values. 

Create Entertaining Challenges

Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are making it easier for users to interact with each other. Brands have to tap into this trend by utilizing social media challenges. Brands can join the trending challenges, or even start one. 

To create a booming social media challenge, make sure it is fun, easy to do, accessible, and that everyone can put their own twist on it. Additionally, create a challenge name that is easy and memorable, but still reflects the activity in the challenge. 

To create buzz and increase participation, invite people or influencers to take part in the challenge before it starts. When it is finally running, don't forget to interact with the participants. The more you can make this an entertaining challenge and grow organically until it becomes viral, the better off you will be for building an online community and reaching new audiences. 

Collaborate with Influencers

The Product Lead stated that social media campaigns involving influencers are still effective if they are well-executed. Choose influencers who are connected to your target audience. Then, use fresh and varied ideas such as social media account takeovers, giveaways, and personalized discount codes. 

Humanize the Brand with Emotion and Empathy

In the digital world that is full of noise, customers start to look for more humanized brand experiences. You need to consider humanizing your brand or using empathetic branding. 

Everyone Social explains that brand empathy means any social media campaign, everyday post, or ad should show genuine emotions or read as human. This way, it will be easier for customers and audiences to trust and connect with your brand.

Also Read: Why Brands Need to Consider Pop-Up Shops and Pop-Up Events