Being a small business, the words “marketing campaign” can be quite intimidating. It seems that marketing campaigns require a large social media platform of thousands of followers which it puts on reserve for big businesses. Well, quite frankly that is false. Small businesses all around are rocking social media marketing campaigns and you can too! Listed below are two very successful campaigns, one regarding social media and another with email marketing, and you’ll discover that your small business can soar when it comes to launching a successful marketing campaign!
Social Media Campaign for Small Businesses
Motion PR is a public relations agency in Chicago that is dedicated to serving their clients in media relations.
Goal of the Campaign:
Motion PR wanted to increase their social media presence for one of their clients, NutHealth.org. In November 2013, Nut Health recorded only 129 Facebook likes, 95 Twitter followers and 35 followers on Pinterest.
The Nut Year’s Resolution campaign was created to promote awareness for tree nuts, drive up social media activity, and promote the fact that tree nuts can improve health.
The goal of Nut Year’s Resolution was to reach 1,000 Facebook likes, 500 Twitter followers, and 250 Pinterest followers by the end of the campaign. In addition to social media, Motion PR wanted 500 individuals to take a pledge to incorporate tree nuts into their diet for their 2014 New Year’s Resolution.
Nut Year’s Resolution Campaign:
The campaign required that all participates like the Nut Health Facebook Page and to take a pledge to add 1.5 ounces of tree nuts into their diet for the year. To gain additional entries into the contest to win a $100 Whole Foods gift card, users could either tweet a message stating that they joined the campaign or follow Nut Health on Twitter and Pinterest.
The Result:
Nut Year’s Resolution exceeded all goals set by Motion PR. The campaign had 31,449 entries by 1,257 individuals. Social media platforms skyrocketed with 2,433 Facebook fans, 1,472 Twitter followers, and 357 Pinterest followers.
What You Can Learn:
The Nut Year’s Resolution campaign is a great example showing that social media campaigns are not just for the big businesses. Nut Health, a small business, was able to use multiple social media platforms to promote their campaign and business. By providing clear goals to be accomplished, and an engaging and fun way for participants to be involved, Nut Health truly exceeded all the expectations for a successful small business marketing campaign.
Email Marketing
Milk Handmade is a women’s clothing boutique store located in Chicago that specializes in small-run, handcrafted goods.
Secret Sale Campaign:
Milk Handmade put together a Secret Sale that would give their email subscribers 50 percent off anything on their sale rack. When customers would come into the boutique store, they had to mention that they were there for the Secret Sale, and they would be rewarded with the exclusive discount.
In the email sent to subscribers of the Secret Sale, the email was brief, straight to the point, and included a picture of an item that would be included in the sale.
Goal of the Secret Sale Campaign:
Milk Handmade wanted to reward its loyal customers that visit the boutique store often as well as email subscribers. It was also a chance for Milk Handmade to sell inventory to prepare for the new season stock of clothes.
The Result:
The Secret Sale email with the subject line, Our Little Secret, had a 43 percent open rate. The link provided was just the store website’s email but it had a click-through rate of 10 percent. The following three days after the email was sent, Milk Handmade generated over $1,000 in sales from the Secret Sale.
What You Can Learn:
A big mistake that many business make is they tend to focus their resources on gaining new customers while neglecting the loyal customers they already have. While gaining new customers should always be your priority, it’s important to remember that your loyal customers also need attention (that’s the delight part of inbound marketing!). Take it upon yourself to reward your best customers and you will have the chance to drive more sales and boost loyalty.
Hallie Borden, the owner of Milk Handmade, explains why the campaign was successful:
“Customers had an excellent reaction to it. They felt that they were getting special treatment and that they were being rewarded for subscribing to our email list, which was my initial goal. Additionally, a customer who had not been in for a while visited and got back in the habit of shopping with us. The email had a great impact on our in-store sales, and helped to foster lasting relationships with our best customers.”
When creating your next campaign, email, or in general, think about your best customers and how you can create value for them.
Let these two success stories of marketing campaigns serve as an inspiration for your small business. Social media marketing and email marketing, when used effectively, can propel your small business into a successful marketing campaign.