WARNING: This entry is long. If you suffer from Marketing ADD, social media is not for you. Social media engagement requires a daily, long-term commitment through a number of relevant channels before you can even think of establishing a reciprocal and profitable relationship. If you're looking for a, "quickie", look elsewhere. If anyone tells you, "different," run and hold on to your wallet. They're lying.
As a student (I'm open to always learning more) as well as creative facilitator of Social Media campaigns, I study campaigns that pique my interest. I watch and assess what works, what doesn't and what could have been done differently to garner success.
The, "Snow At First Sight," social media contest created for the State of Colorado Board of Tourism by an agency I won't name had all the earmarks for success--great branding, great creative, great tactics which included a personal blog/forum/video page (YouTube-like), a request for a short video on why you should win, a place for the world to see and vote for your video (15-seconds of fame) and a great prize (a three-month, all-expenses-paid-trip to Colorado) to stimulate participation and viral growth.
Being an avid skier and passionate facilitator of social media engagement, I decided to enter the contest. I wanted to see if I could drive people to the site to vote for my video (I later disqualified myself because I have, in fact, seen snow).
Yet the campaign failed miserably (very low video submissions/participation/viral growth) due to one small, costly strategic error. It barred skiers--the group most likely to respond, participate and extoll the virtues of the campaign virally. During the same time period, Utah ran a similar video-submission campaign targeting skiers that, judging by the number of video submissions, left Colorado standing frozen at the bottom of the bunny hill.
However, it wasn't a complete loss. I learned a great deal just by participating. You can, too. Find a contest online and get in the game.
The Colorado, "Snow At First Sight," contest concept was simple: Post a 60-second video, earn enough popular votes and you could win a three-month, all-expenses-paid-trip to Colorado. Only one requirement-you've never seen snow.
My Video Submission:
Posted On YouTube, Linked All Over:
Pushed to Influential, Ski The East, Forum (Skews Young Demographic):
Posted To Vermont's Mad River Glen Facebook Page (Target: Freeskier Communication Leaders):
Pushed On Epic Ski Site in Two Forums (Target: Older, Affluent Demographics) I Created One Thread:
And Posted To Ongoing Epic Ski Forum Thread Entitled: Why Do People Think East Coast Skiing Sucks???
Pushed Frequently On Facebook To My Skiing/Marketing Friends:
Pushed On Twitter to Ski /Marketing Related Influencers/Followers:
A Third Into The Contest, My Vote Tally Was Woefully Lagging Far Behind My Lithe, Nubile and Buxom Competitors, (After All, Sex Sells). To Counter That Appeal, I Had To Turn Things Up...
...So I Created A Love Interest and Back Story For My Blind, Sometimes Belligerent-Sometimes Benign, Contestant. Introducing Connie:
Call me today at 978 518.2768 to hear about the results.
