Social media is a huge part of your inbound marketing strategies. People do business with people and social media stores massive amount of audience for your business. Moreover, social media makes marketing easy for us to communicate with the target audience and find new opportunities.
The following are examples inbound social marketing models used by well-known companies.
1. STARBUCKS
Starbucks was an early adopter of social media, and today continues to use beautiful visuals to give customers the longing for a warm cup of coffee. But aside from their photography, Starbucks’ Facebook page includes a myriad of extra features including job postings, contests, and even a universal app. Can’t get that latte out of your head? Next time you’re on the go, test out the store locator embedded right in their Facebook page.
2. ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital understands the power of social media to raise awareness for a charitable cause. St. Jude’s Facebook page features a “Donate” button directly on their cover photo to make the process as easy as possible. To encourage donating, St. Jude uses touching stories and pictures of the children they support to connect givers with the heart of the organization.
3. CHOBANI
When you have an extensive catalog of products, the potential for visual marketing is endless. But what about when you specialize in one product? Chobani is an excellent example of diverse photography for a single, simple item: a spoonful of yogurt. Check out Chobani’s Instagram to browse colorful photos of fruit salads, pineapple smoothies, and frosted pumpkin cookies. You too might begin experimenting with all the tasty possibilities of Greek yogurt.
4. HERSCHEL SUPLLY CO.
There is nothing quite like Herschel Supply’s Instagram account. Between mountaintop views and chaotic city streets, each one of their breathtaking photos communicates a story of travel and exploration. The best part? Most of Herschel Supply’s posts come directly from their customers. By tracking the #WellTravelled hashtag, Herschel Supply has cultivated a community of followers and adventure-seeking artists. Warning: Overwhelming feelings of wanderlust may result immediately after following.
5. SEWICKLEY ACADEMY
Even if you’re new to the inbound marketing space, you’ve probably figured out the cardinal rule: Be helpful. As opposed to the intrusive nature of outbound marketing, inbound gains the trust of potential customers by creating content the audience wants. Check out the Pinterest account of Sewickley Academy, a college preparatory school in Pennsylvania, for an impressive collection of helpful content geared toward helping parents through one of the hardest decisions they have to make: where to send their child to school.
6. L.L. BEAN
When your brand has been around since 1912, how do you keep product marketing fresh? Value the customer over the product. Take L.L.Bean’s Facebook page, for example. Instead of posting repetitive photos of their traditional (but oh-so-comfy) winter boots, L.L.Bean’s boards feature stunning pictures of sunrise hikes and crackling campfires. With this strategy, L.L.Bean follows Pinterest best practice by curating boards around the aspirations of their target customer.
7. TACO BELL
If there is one part of your marketing where you should flaunt a bit of your personality, it’s social media. Taco Bell’s Twitter account is a prime example. With the brand’s hand-drawn doodles of unicorns and tacos, you’ll feel like you’ve opened one of your middle school notebooks. As quirky as it is, Taco Bell has still established a consistent brand image. Plus, the brand’s creative use of animated GIFs results in a social strategy you can’t help but love.
8. EVERLANE
Each of Everlane’s social media accounts works to break down the barrier between the customer and their favorite brand. By illustrating the how and why behind what they do, Everlane provides a window into company culture and differentiates themselves from similar fashion brands. As recent social media trends shift away from the public and toward the private, Everlane has done an exceptional job of using Snapchat to send messages to their customers that feel honest and personal.
9. REI
As you work to raise brand awareness, often it’s better to go a bit off the beaten path -- even if it means excluding yourself from the largest shopping day of the year. REI created its fair share social media buzz for Black Friday 2015 as they encouraged shoppers to #OptOutside of their post-turkey trip to the mall and instead spend the day in nature. The holiday season is not the unique social campaign REI launched. Check out their 1440 Project for an excellent example of inviting the customer into your social sharing.
These are just a few ways use social media for inbound marketing. There are many more inbound marketing strategies out there, such as the 32 Enviable Inbound Marketing Strategies we compiled from companies like Microsoft, Tesco and more.
