How Startups are Maximizing Results via Social Media Marketing

Running a small business comes with considerable challenges. One of the most demanding missions is standing out in a highly competitive environment. Social media has become a battleground to capture the attention of consumers. For this reason, startups need to formulate effective social media strategies that deliver results.

The best social media campaigns help reinforce sentiments or information about specific services, products, or a brand. They entail a coordinated marketing effort designed to engage with the target audience.

The most successful campaigns launched by startups are spectacular, innovative, and relevant to consumer’s needs. In turn, startups achieve impressive results despite having limited resources at their disposal.

Examples of startups rocking social media

To succeed social media marketing, many startups adopt creative ways to grab the attention of consumers. Unusual campaign strategies can make a difference when it comes to boosting brand awareness, lead generation, and conversions.

Here are some of the startups that launched exceptional campaigns, which made a real impact on social networks by giving consumers a reason to care.

Uber

In its early days, Uber rode the social media wave spectacularly. The ride-hailing firm achieved significant results with limited budgets.

Uber ignited a social media craze by launching a free ride promotion during the South by Southwest SXSW festival in 2011. The event focuses on film, interactive media, and music; it attracts thousands of attendees in Austin, Texas.

The free rides generated excitement about the festival as thousands of millennials swamped social media for information. In turn, the frenzy revolutionized the event and generated buzz around the Uber brand, which was still a startup at the time.

Billie

Billie found a way to thrust its brand name into consumers’ hearts and minds by joining the fight against sexism. The startup offers discounted razors and other personal care products as part of an online subscription service.

The company responded to reports that women pay between 10 and 15 percent more than their male counterparts, especially for personal care products. Project Body Hair raised awareness on matters relating to women’s body hair. Its social media campaign focused on creating a positive shaving experience while fighting the so-called Pink Tax.

Billie offered rewards for women sharing the benefits of the product with their friends. The referral program helped grow the startup’s followers on social networks. Many women shared bold photos of their natural body hair under the hashtag #ProjectBodyHair.

The campaign boosted brand awareness and customer loyalty. Billie leveraged the power of political awareness and wallet activism to grab the target audience’s attention via social media.

Spotify

During its startup days, Spotify accelerated growth by tapping into tremendous opportunities presented by Facebook. The firm provides a streaming music service, which allows users to share playlists with their connections.

To boost its fortunes, Spotify announced a partnership with Facebook at the f8 developer conference in 2011. The integration enabled the firm to add approximately two million new users in less than 30 days. The number of active users on the platform has since risen to 271 million (as of December 2019).

Airbnb

Airbnb is another company that maximized growth by leveraging the power of social media marketing. It created powerful short videos to attract specific audiences, including millennials. One of the popular videos released by Airbnb is Hollywood and Vines.

For six days, it called on Twitter users to shoot one shot from a list posted via the platform. Users were required to share the shots with their friends on social networks. A director provided specific instructions for users to follow when capturing the videos. Shots chosen for the film earned the user $100.

The campaign made history by becoming the first collaborative short film directed via Twitter. In the end, the project became a viral success as it captured the attention of prominent Hollywood stars like Adam Goldberg and Ashton Kutcher.

Why do some social marketing campaigns work while others don’t?

Although most startups that succeed in social media marketing adopt unusual strategies, they avoid common pitfalls. For instance, they approach storytelling intending to show rather than tell. As a result, they allow users to make their inferences.

Brands need to avoid telling audiences what to do or feel. The story should unfold naturally, which allows the target audience to reach their conclusion.

Similarly, the inclusion of too much jargon distracts users from focusing on the gist of the story. To stand out in a noisy world, startups should emulate Steve Jobs by focusing on simplicity in communication. A humanistic mode of communication makes it easier for consumers to remember marketing messages.