The basics of a successful social media campaign 💪

Capturing people's attention on social media comes down to two things: art and science. Attention spans are short, and users scroll through their feeds faster and faster while chatting to online friends at the same time.

One of the most common mistakes when a campaign tries to boost audience engagement is being too 'dry' or corporate. The other is trying far too hard to be 'cool' and losing the plot completely. Some campaigns do hit their target, but when they clash with other cultures or divisive topics, they end up taking a huge fall.

International brands such as Wendy's, Innocent and Oreo (available in Portugal) are famous for always getting it right when it comes to interactions across social platforms. Much of that comes from the brand's voice and personality.

Well-chosen images can be very effective at capturing interest and encouraging shares.

Here are the five basics for creating more attractive campaigns.

1 – Edit your images for each platform ✍️

First of all, you need to understand that an image posted on a social network will not necessarily attract more attention than any other. That is why it is important to adapt and edit your photos properly for the right platforms.

On Instagram, beautiful and evocative photos tend to do well, especially if they are simple and dynamically composed. On Pinterest, users respond more readily to detailed images that are visually interesting to explore, such as collections of handmade objects or inspiring interiors.

Facebook users prefer to share images that are funny or entertaining, as well as ones they connect with emotionally. On Twitter, which moves much faster, people pay more attention to interesting, quick information, like Netflix, whose campaigns for its series combine intriguing lines with attractive photos.

As with content, each platform has its own guidelines for image sizes, so spend some time optimising your campaign properly. Don't just 'crop'.

2 – Give every image a specific goal 🗺️

Think about the main goal of your campaign and adjust the visuals and the message accordingly. If you are mostly focused on raising brand awareness, you can be a little more abstract, but consistency is always crucial.

If you are selling a product, highly promotional posts tend not to reach as many people as funny, interesting or entertaining ones. Those add value because they are much more likely to be shared, even when the product is front and centre.

Reese's award-winning campaign, "All Trees Are Beautiful", was inspired by customer complaints that the brand's chocolates were not perfectly shaped like Christmas trees.

By tying it to the themes of bullying and imperfect bodies that are beautiful too, the company turned a negative into a positive and, more importantly, into sales.

3 – Think about why people share 😬

With feeds full of noise, good and bad, people only click on what they really connect with or like. That is why understanding what motivates your target audience is essential.

If you have run campaigns before, study all the data you have to find out which images work best. Facebook Insights is particularly useful here. Alternatively, study your competitors' most successful efforts and why they worked.

'Shareable' images are simple and easy to take in, and they get a message or a piece of information across quickly. Everyone understands them.

They can be funny, but not every brand can pull off good humour, and it is not always appropriate. Photos that stir emotions or make clever observations about everyday life can work really well. Sometimes it is enough to upload an image beautiful enough that people want to share it. National Geographic's Friday Facts campaign paired a short piece of information with stunning images. For the brand's audience, it worked perfectly.

4 – Choose images that tell a story quickly📗

The images most likely to be shared are magnetic and combine a visually strong subject with context. Stories, even complex ones, become simpler when told with images. This shows off the brand's voice quickly and makes the message easy for users to understand.

Oreo is known for its skill with social media images. By constantly producing fresh, original and visually relevant content, the company stays strong across all platforms.

From Pride to the Mars landing, Oreo always focuses on trending topics without losing sight of its audience and what it likes.

Different kinds of image suit different needs. For example, photography is ideal when the photo is strong and stands on its own, while a line in bold lettering on a simple, bright background puts the focus on the message itself.

Illustrations, on the other hand, can spark the audience's imagination and give your brand more room for an abstract, surreal or unusual theme.

5 – Design for short attention spans 😏

When attention spans are short, you need the right way to win people over, and sometimes a fantastic image is not enough. As with any creative campaign, the main goal is to create something that makes your audience stop and then share it.

The food company Denny's built a great reputation online by being playful and even weird in its campaigns, often poking fun at other brands, but always with golden tones and stacks of pancakes.

In this case, stock images could in theory have done the job. But what made the campaigns successful and caught the public's attention were the jokes. One of the best known was the image you see here, where the caption simply told people to zoom in on the syrup.

It is a classic meme: zooming in on one spot leads you to other spots in the image and, finally, to the closing message. In Denny's case, the last line was on the butter and read: "Did this distract you from the crushing weight of your existence lol".

Exceptionally simple, perfectly in line with the brand's voice and, ultimately, a campaign that earned thousands of likes and shares for Denny's. That is the power of a good campaign.

Want to create a successful campaign? Get in touch today!