If you’ve been following Synch-Up, you know we’re fans of using social media for event marketing. Recently, we reflected on lessons learned while integrating Twitter into a trade show marketing campaign. Here are some useful tips to make your next Twitter promotion a viral success:
• Choose a Goal, Then Stick To It
Twitter campaigns are designed to be light and efficient. The more steps and aspects to a project, the easier to lose focus on the goals you seek to accomplish. Remember, there’s only 140 characters to explain the entire operation! A retweet, page link, or call to action should be the ceiling for complexity. If there is more than can comfortably fit in a single tweet, do the right thing and direct your followers to a web page instead.
• Tweet With Purpose
The technical aspects of a technology based campaign are important, but content is still the beast that must be served. The most successful campaigns go viral because they contain compelling information that excites the user, who then shares the content with friends. Or maybe you pull your followers into an activity of interest, such as a contest or charity donation. Ask yourself if you’re guilty of pushing information at your followers. If you are, now is the time to develop a hook.
• Use Your Resources
A stand alone Twitter campaign reaches your immediate followers – a good start. But what about your email, Facebook, LinkedIn, and direct mailing lists? You can draw attention from casual users who don’t check Twitter frequently, and draw new followers, by using your other avenues of contact. Treat Twitter as just one element of your event marketing strategy. Combine it with other resources to optimize reach and create greater success.
• Drum Up Hype
Launch a Twitter campaign to promote your Twitter campaign. Sound redundant? Not when you consider that people who follow this type of marketing want it to be FUN. So, rather than starting your campaign cold, add some intriguing tweets about a week before the campaign to build suspense and anticipation among your followers. Try incorporating ideas like daily countdowns, quizzes and reminders. Most importantly, give yourself enough time to let the campaign flourish – a week before your event will feel rushed, and your followers may notice.
• Shoot High!
The best case and the worst case for a Twitter campaign are one and the same. Many marketers worry that if the campaign is too successful, they’ll be challenged to keep track of replies and retweets. But hang on! What about the flip side? If not successful enough, the campaign doesn’t generate enough interest to support the project. Either way, your goals aren’t being accomplished. Worry about making your campaign successful before second-guessing the dangers of ‘too much success’!
Sure, it’s hard to achieve viral success. Twitter campaigns, like any other successful promotion, require a combination of skill and good fortune. But with a little focused effort, worthwhile content, some creativity and a clear sense of fun, you CAN make it sticky.