Social media campaigns tell stories. Whether they announce the launch of an exciting new product, help celebrate a holiday or milestone moment, or create a new narrative, social media campaigns can be a highly effective marketing tactic. They can spark engagement, inspire conversation, build community, and drive sales.
Here are 12 noteworthy social media campaign examples by companies ranging from small businesses to major brands, plus takeaways to implement for your own campaigns.
What is a social media campaign?
A social media campaign is one piece or a series of pieces ofsocial media contentdesigned around one central idea and goal. Usually, businesses create social media campaigns with goals like boosting engagement, driving sales, shedding light on important topics, celebrating a holiday, or launching a new product. The most successful social media campaigns combine a compelling concept, interesting story, clever taglines and strong copy, and eye-catching graphics or design.
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Learn moreWhy is social media marketing important?
Social media marketingmeets a business’s target audience where they are. The average person now spendstwo hours and 25 minutes on social mediaper day (up almost an entire hour from 2012). Without a presence on social media, businesses miss out on creating essential brand awareness and speaking directly to potential customers on achannelwhere they spend increasingly more time.
Now, social media apps are offering the option topurchase items directly within the platform. Businesses have the opportunity to create another sales channel if they choose to market on social media—or risk being left behind.
12 social media campaign examples
- Scent and Fire: 2.22.22
- Juneshine: Summer of June
- MiiR: Re:Claimed
- Fluide: Trans Day of Visibility
- Folklor: The art of the weekly product drop
- Loungefit.: Day in the life
- Acid League: Proxies collab with André Hueston Mack
- Olipop: Banana cream
- Maude: Sex ed for all
- Ryan Trahan: 1¢ for 30 days
- Apple: #ShotOniPhone
- Starbucks: Sip into summer
Ahead, get a closer look at each social media marketing campaign example and learn how you can implement something similar into your own social media marketing strategy.
1.Scent & Fire: 2.22.22
Scent & Firesells eco-conscious candles in aromatherapeutic fragrances designed to calm and center stressful environments.
The campaign
“It’s Twosday! 2.22.22 Today only happens once in a lifetime,” wrote Scent & Fire on Instagram. This one-post campaign took a fun date and turned it into a promotion opportunity, offering 22% off for one day only.
The takeaway
TheNational Holiday Calendarprovides a list of the national days throughout each month. Take a look and see if any of those days are on brand for you. Then, consider creating a post or a promotion all around that day. You don’t have to have a sale, especially if engagement is the main goal. If your brand is active on Twitter, see how many retweets or comments you can get in a thread. Or, if your goal is more sales, see how much volume that one campaign can drive.
2.Juneshine: Summer of June
San Diego–basedJuneshinesells hard kombucha (among other beverages, like canned cocktails) in delicious flavors including Mango Daydream, Blood Orange Mint, and Acai Berry.
The campaign
Summer of June is a social media campaign featuring events across the United States, with corresponding new product releases. Instagram posts list out dates and location of each week’s events, while follow-up posts show snaps from past get togethers. Collectively, the campaign aims to build community, bring people together, and use social media as a platform to do so.
The takeaway
If you’re planning a series of events, consider using a social media campaign to announce details surrounding each one, and post photos after to get followers excited about the next.
3.MiiR: Re:Claimed
MiiRsells reusable vessels like coffee cups, water bottles, and mugs, with a business model focused on responsibility and generosity (the company is a certified B Corp and donates a portion of its profits each year to nonprofits).
The campaign
虽然分享其susta MiiR总是让一个点inability efforts across Instagram, its Re:Claimed program takes it a step further. The social media campaign announces the initiative, shares an all-new design option, and speaks to how selling refurbished items contributes to its sustainability goals. It’s both a brand play and product launch in one.
The takeaway
取a look at your brand values and the goals and mission of your business. Are you coming out with a new product launch that directly speaks to fulfilling those goals? Use social media to announce and gain traction for that campaign.
4.Fluide: Trans Day of Visibility
Fluide sells high-quality cosmetics for every skin shade and gender expression. The brand aims to amplify queer and gender-expressive voices and showcase queer beauty, focusing on both the fun and transformative nature of makeup.
The campaign
Fluide launched aseries of postshonoring the Trans Day of Visibility, using the hashtag #TDOV. The team partnered with influencers who modeled for the series and each identified their trans icon. Models spoke about and honored each of their icons while posed in front of meticulously crafted collages of them. The posts highlight each icons’ work, sharing notable facts about them.
“This year’s theme is dedicated to the artists, activists, thought leaders and icons who have paved the way for those who came after and whose lives continue to inspire our community today,” wrote Fluide on a blog post about the series.
The takeaway
In the brand’s own words, “TDOV is dedicated to celebrating transgender lives and creating awareness of the discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide. Founded by transgender activist Rachel Crandall as a reaction to the lack of recognition of transgender people, the day is a celebration of the contributions to society by transgender people.”
Is there a day that resonates with you and the mission and value of your business? Consider how a social media campaign can raise awareness, highlight something that matters to you, and make a real impact for others.
5.Folklor: The art of the weekly product drop
Folklor sells vintage and pre-loved fine jewelry. The brand seeks to ignite the stories behind jewelry and inspire a love for treasure hunting. Pieces span from simple gold chains to elaborate art deco rings.
The campaign
Because it sells preloved pieces, Folklor operates on a system of weekly product drops. The business uses Instagram to seed the drop every week. “In order for it to be a successful drop, I need to start teasing it four days before,” says Megan Mensink, Folklor’s founder. “And then it just works for me. I always follow that cadence and different formats.” Working off this framework, the brand consistently reveals a new slew of items each week—fueling the curious minds of followers and folks who want to see what will be in stock next.
The takeaway
A weekly product drop is a great model if you ship pre-loved or vintage pieces. People, especially social media users, value consistency. Choose one day a week on which you’ll release new products, and stay consistent. Eventually, followers will expect your drop on that day and might check in, hopeful to find the treasure they’ve been searching for. For folks who sell new items, this can be something you useto launch specialty lines.
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6.Loungefit: Day in the life
Loungefit sells high-quality loungewear, from sweatsuits to t-shirts. The brand has seen massive growth from its active following on TikTok.
@loungefitbrandMonday - Back to work#dayinmylife #entrepreneur #clothingbrand ♬ WAIT FOR U (feat. Drake & Tems) - Future
The campaign
Andre Smith, Loungefit’s founder, posts TikTok videos chronicling a real day in his life, wearing full Loungefit outfits and peeling back the curtain on what it’s like to run his own business. Though his “day in the life of an entrepreneur” videos might seem playful and fun to watch at first glance, they’re actually an intentional marketing play.
“Initially, 80% of my sales came from TikTok,” Andre says, “and [posts] wouldn’t have to be me promoting the product. It could just be me doing a day-in-the-life video where people like the outfit [I’m] wearing.” Andre sprinkles these videos throughout TikTok, giving followers a peek into what it’s really like to run your own business each day.
How you can implement
Give your social followers a glimpse into your day, whether that’s on Instagram Stories, TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram Live.
7.Acid League: Proxies collab with André Hueston Mack
Acid League sells living vinegars, acid-forward salad dressings, and Proxies, which are non-alcoholic wines. Itsbranding features brightly coloredeye-catching designs.
The campaign
Acid League created a Proxy in collaboration with sommelier André Hueston Mack, promoting the partnership across several posts on Instagram. In addition, André caught up with followers by hosting an Instagram Live, where he sat down to chat about the new product. The brand also posted a YouTube video feature fromBon Appétitmagazine, where André shared facts about how the Proxies get made.
The takeaway
Work with an influencer, a prominent person in the same space, an expert craftsperson, or an industry expert to co-develop a product collaboration, or simply create a narrative together across one or many social networks.
8.Olipop: Banana cream
Olipop sells “not sodas”—delightful sparkling tonics in flavors like Strawberry Vanilla, Classic Grape, and Vintage Cola. The drinks are packed full with prebiotics, and the company aims to aid digestive health.
The campaign
To help promote the release of the movieMinions: The Rise of Gru, Olipop created a new flavor, which the team is calling a “work of evil genius.” This particular large-scale campaign spanned different platforms, including social media, SMS, email, and a website takeover, and, of course, included a brand new product launch.
The takeaway
Aside from being a collaboration with a major motion picture, the multichannel execution of this particular campaign is what makes it interesting. Olipop has promoted the launch across every channel it uses. In that way, the campaign feels very cohesive, sharing different images and messages tailored to each platform. For example, messaging on SMS is very purchase-focused, while email messaging is fun and playful.
9.Maude: Sex ed for all
Maudesells intimacy and sexual wellness basics in sleek designs made with premium ingredients. Its brand is based on three central principles: simplicity, quality, and inclusivity.
The campaign
Connected to its brand mission of promoting sexual wellness, Maude launched a campaign in May 2022 called Sex Ed for All, in partnership with SIECUS and Advocates for Youth. The campaign advocates and raises awareness for the need for real sexual education access, as well as the current lack of critical education around sexual health and wellness.
The takeaway
Consider the impact you’d like to have as a business, and if there are any foundations you’d like to partner with to share an important message. How can you leverage your engagement, reach, and following to surface and bring awareness to issues that resonate with you and your brand?
10.Ryan Trahan: 1¢ for 30 days
Ryan Trahan is an entrepreneur with a massive YouTube following. With 6.8 million subscribers tuning in, he has built a community from his creative and engaging content.
The campaign
In this ongoing campaign launched in June of 2022, Ryan started with a penny and an aim to see if he could travel across the country in 30 days by trading up and selling his way across. Ryan israising money for Feeding Americaonline in the process: his goal was $100,000, and he’s already brought in over $360,000. Through entertaining videos and a fun concept, Ryan is making real change.
The takeaway
At its core, this campaign consists of two things: an incredibly fun concept and the goal to raise money for people in need. If you’d like to create something similar, consider how a fun challenge can raise both money and awareness for a cause.
11. Apple: #ShotoniPhone
You’ve likely seen one of Apple’s billboards, complete with a breathtaking image, only to learn that it was actually shot on an iPhone. Enter Apple’s #ShotOniPhone social media campaign.
The campaign
This campaign is the entire focus of Apple’s Instagram account. #ShotoniPhone demonstrates the high quality of an iPhone camera through real images taken by users.
The takeaway
The Apple campaign is based on UGC (user-generated content). It’s a great campaign to learn from if you’re interested in harnessing UGC for your business.
Ask your customers to share images of them using your products, whether that’s every day or in creative ways, and create a campaign that involves sharing them to your social media channels.
12. Starbucks: Sip into summer
Along with changing its Twitter bio to “Sip into Summer ,” Starbucks is sharing summer-themed content on Twitter.
Describe your perfect summer day using only emojis. ☀️☕️
— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks)May 20, 2022
About the campaign
Starbucks planned out a summer-long campaign featuring new drink releases and fun-filled community engagement plays. This particular campaign is Twitter-focused, where Starbucks poses a question and encourages Twitter users to engage by commenting their answers. The campaign aims to celebrate summer with new product releases, like the chocolate cream cold brew the company launched in May 2022.
How you can implement
Consider choosing a theme and posing questions to your audience that compel them to share an answer and tag their friends.
How to create a social media campaign
1. Choose an idea to center your campaign around
This could be an upcoming product launch, a holiday, or simply a story you’d like to tell.
2. Establish a goal
Are you aiming to get more followers, boost engagement on your channels, or make sales?
3. Come up with a catchy tagline
While video and visuals will do most of the talking (unless you’re running your campaign on Twitter), a catchy tagline that can be used in hashtags will make your campaign even more memorable.
4. Think about how many pieces of content you’ll need
A social media campaign only needs one post to be successful. But some require more pieces of content to reach their full potential. Consider what will work best for your social media marketing campaign.
5. Decide on a design
Will each of your posts follow a central design theme, or will each be different but united by your tagline? Will you design the content or ask someone for help?
6. Interview featured folks
If your campaign hinges on featuring people, you’ll need to set up time with them to chat.
7. Schedule and post your campaign
Once everything’s ready, it’s time to actually post about your campaign!
8. Measure results and engage with comments
Keep an eye on if you’ve reached your goals, and don’t forget to enter the conversation you’ve started.
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Social media campaign examples FAQ
What are some examples of campaigns?
Here are 12 social media campaign examples:
- Scent and Fire: 2.22.22
- Juneshine: Summer of June
- MiiR: Sustainability
- Fluide: Trans Day of Visibility
- Folklor: The art of the weekly product drop
- Loungefit.: Day in the life
- Acid League: Proxies collab with André Hueston Mack
- Olipop: Banana cream
- Maude: Sex ed for all
- Ryan Trahan: 1¢ for 30 days
- Apple: #ShotOniPhone
- Starbucks: Sip into Summer
How do I create a social media campaign?
Here are the steps for creating a social media campaign:
- Choose an idea to center your campaign around.
- Establish a goal.
- Come up with a catchy tagline.
- Think about how many pieces of content you’ll need.
- Decide on a design.
- Interview featured folks.
- Schedule and post your campaign.
- Measure results and engage with comments.
What is a social media campaign plan?
A social media campaign plan is the steps you will take to execute a successful campaign across social media platforms. It includes the timeline for the campaign, the people involved, the scope of work, a description of the campaign, a list of the goals you hope to reach and metrics you’d like to track, which channels you’ll run the campaign on, and how the campaign will differ on each social media channel.
Why is it important to have a social media campaign?
Social media campaigns can increase brand awareness, take a stance on a central issue or idea, boost engagement among your followers, help attract more followers from your target audience or key demographic, and help you make more sales. They can also inspire you to work with new influencers or other partners you normally would not have worked with before.