There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for developing content that's poised to go viral. In many ways, a great piece of viral content, whether it be video, pictures or social media, becomes popular due to its alchemy. There's something about the right mix of thoughtful, engaging and emotionally driving content that just pops on the Internet. In our Behind the Social Media Campaign Series, we delve deep into why and how certain branded campaigns capture that super-sharable magic.
These four brands below have certainly dominated their social media avenue of choice. Whether it's on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or Pinterest, these brands have reached massive engagement with their creative and moving campaigns. Take a look at these innovative brands below, and click through to the full story to read more. For more brands knocking it out of the park on social media, make sure to check out and follow the series.
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1. Twitter: Bully
How do you promote a movie that attempts to give a voice to the voiceless? This is the challenge that fell upon the makers and distributors of Bully, a documentary on childhood bullying that hit theaters nationwide in April.
The film's path to theaters was a rocky one. Initially released for a limited audience on March 30, the documentary was slapped with an R-rating for strong language by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The appeal was denied, effectively blocking the film's opportunity to reach its target audience of tweens and teenagers. Filmmaker Lee Hirsch says he was devastated by the thought of his film not having the impact he hoped it would.
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Then, a massive multi-platform campaign to bring awareness to the movie was launched by myriad sources, with Twitter entering as a main theater of activity.
2. YouTube: Carlsberg
Picture this: You walk into a movie theater and almost every seat is full of burly, mean-looking bikers. If that wasn't already an intimidating situation, the only available seats are right in the middle of the center row, meaning if you want to watch the movie from a seated position, you'll have to make your way through aisles of bikers who are staring you down.
If you're among a brave handful, you'll sit down anyway, wait patiently for the movie to start and ... receive thunderous applause and a fresh Carlsberg to toast your courage.
It's a simple premise that struck a chord with a lot of people. The video, released in September 2011, had 11 million views on YouTube as of early May 2012.
3. Pinterest: Jetsetter
There's nothing quite like Pinterest when it comes to eye candy. And few sites, if any, have more stunning photography than Jetsetter. So it's not surprising that Jetsetter's most recent initiative was a "pin it to win it" Pinterest contest. It's also not surprising that the contest performed very well. Pinterest is the star of the Interwebs, with staggering referral traffic and a rapidly growing user base, and it's natural that stunning travel photos spread like wildfire on the social media platform.
4. Facebook: Sephora
There are a lot of beauty junkies out there, and they've taken to social media networks to fuel their obsession. A list of the most-followed Pinterest accounts is dominated by beauty brands, and some of Instagram's most engaging accounts offer beauty and fashion tips. There's a huge market for beauty lovers, and Sephora plans to own it.
So when the company's website makeover was ready for its close-up, the brand called on its beauty providers and a little platform called Facebook to engage fans and drive traffic to the freshly developed site.
What do you think of these campaigns? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
This story originally published on Mashable here.
