With all of the constant chatter around social media, it can be challenging for marketers to sift out which strategies work—and which ones don’t. In an effort to find that perfect formula, some of the industry’s most skillful social media marketers convened in New York last Thursday for Engage NYC, a social media summit organized by Socialbakers. From beauty products to world-renowned sports teams, marketers who designed campaigns for a plethora of industries shared how they managed to engage and galvanize shoppers across the globe. Here are a few of the more poignant tidbits of insight, strategy, advice, and lessons from that event.
“With social, remember to engage, tell stories, measure, then entertain. When you’ve finished your campaign, do it again. That’s the way to become a top franchise.”—Julien Jalouzet, digital marketing manager, Paris Saint-Germain
“As you craft a social strategy, start small. Build results. But most important, don’t imagine the barriers.”—Mark Josephson, CEO, Bitly
“[Marketers] don’t have to use all social platforms; use a main platform [that works for your team], and build around that. At most, pick one to three platforms where you can dominate.”—Chris Reitermann, CEO for China, Ogilvy & Mather
“How do you win in social content? Join the conversation. And examine what you’ve already done [that’s been successful]. Then pick a [social] channel, and try to innovate on top of that. That’s how you succeed—curate the conversation, then just create content.”—Pete Mitchell, global media innovations director, Mondel?z International
“Why are social networks important? Because we can gain awareness and following [among consumers]. What used to take 20 years with social can take just three to five.”—Jalouzet
“[When it comes to social marketing] there’s art and science. Can you imagine just having one of the two? You always need both.”—Josephson
“As you craft social campaigns, use data. Then show clients the data, and prove [to them] what works.”—Reitermann
“It’s about measuring. Try to see what works on which platform. See the interactions. Showing exclusive material and content gets people engaged. People will see you doing something different.”—Jalouzet
“You can [execute] a campaign fully online, fully global, and fully social. But you’ll still need PR and media partnerships. The combination brings campaigns to a different level.”—Mitchell
“Just take a bet. You don’t have to be certain that it works. If it doesn’t, just optimize, and then make it work.”—Reitermann
