8.2 Characteristics of Successful Campaign

There are a variety of characteristics for successful campaigns, but we are going to describe the more common characteristics related to successful campaigns, which are: targeted, focused, measurable, and communications.

Targeted
Social media campaigns come in all shapes and sizes and every campaign is unique. But what all successful social media campaigns have in common is a set clear objectives and success criteria and laser targeting.

If you haven't taken the time and effort to think through what you're trying to achieve, the audience you want to engage with and what success looks like not tour chances of success are going to be slim to zero.

So, consider the following questions:

1.	Is your aim to increase brand awareness by reaching out to a new target audience or is it more about

educating, informing, and engaging existing customers?

2.	Do you want to activate key influencers and thought leaders?

3.	Is your aim to generate buzz about a new product launch or event or to increase sales of an underforming

product line?

4.	What actions do you want your target audience to take?

5.	How are you going to monetize all that addional engagement and traffic?

8.2 Characteristics of Successful Campaign

Focused
Its truism in marketing that campaigns aimed at raising brand awareness are best left to the big boys who can afford to burn through enormous marketing budgets; this applies just as much too social media as to any other genre of marketing.

We've all seen the big budget social media campaigns that attract critical acclaim and generate acres of media coverage but leave the question "so what"? Hanging in the air.

There is very few small business that can afford to take such a long term and, some might say, wildly optimistic, view of the potential of social media.

Instead of throwing money at your campaign in the hope that it finds way back to you in the fullness of time, ensure that your campaign is of the direct response variety and focused on a specific issue, customer pain point, or a competitor.

It will be much better to develop the right content messaging and identify the specific actions you want your visitors to take, all of which will greatly assist in ensuring that you have something to show for your efforts.

Credibility. Successful campaigns first and last establish credibility and a sense of truth and rightness in all that they do. People, products, and ideas all seem to be the reasonable, feasible, competent, trustworthy, expert, and so on. It is easy to accept what is said as fair and difficult to make accusation of lying or deception.

8.2 Characteristics of Successful Campaign

Aligned climate. The message that campaign is promoting is carefully aligned with popular opinion and the general climate of the day. There is no real attempt to push water uphill. New spins may be out onto messages to make them seem innovative, but reversals or serious shits of public opinion are attempted.

Measurable
As with all successful marketing imitative, setting appropriate metrics so that you have a basis for measuring the success of your campaign is a must.

If you've set clear objectives and defined the actions you want your audience to take this should be pretty straightforward but do bear in mind that one of the great (and slightly scary) things about social media is that once you put your message out there you have very little control over what happens to it. That means your campaign may end up having completely different outcomes from the ones you're expecting.

If you're not hitting tour targets don't be too quick to write the campaign off as a failure. Look closely at all your metrics to see if you're driving value somewhere else. For example, you may not have as many micro-conversions (e-mail opt-ins, Twitter followers, Facebook fans and RSS subscribers) as you'd hoped for but the engagement levels for those you do have may be much higher or you may find that you're seeing an increase in off-line sales.

Of course, if it looks like a turkey, walks like a turkey, and sounds like a turkey, it probably is -in which case you need to hit the kill button pretty darn quick. But without the right metrics, how will ever know?

8.2 Characteristics of Successful Campaign

Simplicity. As social media campaign becomes ever more complex it's worth reflecting on whether this what users really want. Creativity is a wonderful thing, but if you ask too much of your audience they will quickly get bored and move on.

Instead, keep it simple and immediate and offer something your users going to value as a reward for their engagement. This doesn't have to be anything expensive or even anything tangible, so long as your campaign is relevant, fun and engaging.

Communications
Having a great message is one of the things that makes great campaigns stand out from the rest. But just having a great message isn't enough -you also have to communicate it via the right channels. It can be tempting to just focus your efforts on the big3 -Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube - but if that's not where your target audience hangs out it isn't going to do you much good.

It also pays to remember that people tend to behave differently on different networks so think about the actions you want your users to take and match the medium to the message. For example, if you want an immediate response you'd probably want to use Twitter, whereas Facebook is more suited to opinion sharing.

Finally, make sure your social media campaign is fully integrated with all your marketing, advertising, and PR activities, both online and offline. This will not only increase your campaign's impact but also ensure that you aren't putting out contradictory messages that will confuse your audience.

8.2 Characteristics of Successful Campaign

Structured communication. The communication system of successful campaigns is extremely well managed, with closely targeted listeners who are very well understood. Messages are managed both internally (with their structure and content) and over time (with consistency and developing stories). There are strict rules about who can say what and loose cannons in this camp are contained. All messages are reviewed carefully before being released into defined channels.

Multiple events. Events help declare the message of the campaign and attract focus it. Events can come in many guises, including parties, educational seminars, festivals, and concerts. However, defining and planning a successful event depends on the nature of the campaign.

Press coverage. Marketing campaigns provide opportunity for press and greater company exposure. When a cause campaign is launched, follow it with a press release to local media (or national, if relevant) concerning the campaign. It may even be appropriate to schedule a press conference highlighting the campaign, its purpose and associated products.