It’s a little soppy, I admit (and just a tad commercial), but Valentine’s Day is a great time to share the love with your social media fans. There will be hearts, flowers, teddies and chocolates everywhere you look on February 14th, but if you want to create a long-lasting bond that won’t wilt with the roses, here’s how to turn up the charm and woo your online followers all year round.
Say it with coffee
Where would we be without coffee? It wakes us up in the morning, stops us from sleeping during long meetings and gives us much-needed energy – even if it’s short lived. Coffee is brilliant, so if you love it as much as us, why not arrange a Meet the Team day and share a cup or two with a lucky someone – or perhaps a small group if you have the time?
To make this work, it’s a good idea to host some kind of competition; one that will generate a social media buzz and attract people who are genuinely interested in what you do. Explain clearly what the prize is and when you’re ready, choose a winner, make the announcement and get ready to impart some wisdom. Here’s hoping you don’t end up with the one person who orders a Double Ristretto Venti, Half-Soy, Non-Fat, Decaf, Organic, Extra Hot Frappuccino with Whipped Cream.
Follow your meeting up with a public post. Say something along the lines of: “Words can’t Espresso how much we appreciate your on-going social media support.”
We’re here all day. Thank you, thank you!
Oh and don’t forget to share photos from the Meet the Team event. You can use these to promote future activities. This sort of follow up should always be implemented to help keep your marketing campaign relevant for as long as possible.
Say it with FREEBIES
Everyone loves a freebie right? Giveaways are one of the best ways to reward your social media fans this Valentine’s Day and beyond, so what could you give to show some love? Of course, a gift relevant to your business and industry would be ideal; perhaps something promotional to increase brand awareness?
Here are a few creative ideas to get your brain whirring. Remember social media campaigns need to be innovative, edgy and different to what others are doing.
- ‘You Rule’ – a branded stationary kit. Who doesn’t like stationary?
- ‘We Knead You’ – a bread-based treat wrapped neatly with a business card.
- ‘#1’ – sample/free trial of your most popular product/service.
- ‘#livingthedream’ – a special discount or voucher from your company or an affiliate.
Of course, if you’ve a large social media following it might not be possible to give everyone a freebie, so here’s how to be more selective:
- Run a best picture/video/singing/fancy dress competition and reward the winner/s
- Host a social media quiz and send a freebie to those who take part
- Reward those who come up with a catch-line/slogan for your brand
- Thank those who like and share a certain post (this is great for brand awareness)
- Incentivise all those who use a specific #hashtag
- Reward those who buy a certain product
- Reward those who leave a review
- Mention those who share/re-tweet your content
- Choose a fan of the week through random selection – in it to win it
Whatever you do to get hearts racing, be sure to shout about it beforehand. For your online efforts to be successful you need to get people interested and that takes work, dedication and continuous communication. Valentine’s is the perfect time to kick start meaningful social media interaction, but remember to keep it up throughout the year.
What are you planning for your fans this Valentine’s Day? Tweet me and let me know!