On Sunday, I’ll be hoping for more than just another Super Bowl where the New York Giants leave New Englanders weeping in their clam chowder. I’m hoping to see advertisers use social
media in ways that make sense for them -- and their consumers.
Marketers’ Super Bowl strategies are locked up by now, so consider the suggestions below more of a wish list than a guide.
These apply to far more than the Super Bowl, though, so print them out or save them in Evernote and use them throughout the year ahead.
1) Think like your target consumers. If
you don’t have this memorized, internalize how they use social media, and learn what they do while watching television. Learn what they share, how they share, who they share it with, and why
they’re sharing it.
2) Give your current fans something first. Anything. Now’s the time to remember them. How often do people walk down the street thinking,
“I wonder what advertisers are going to be shilling a week from now?” The crazy thing is that this is happening right now. Reward your loyal fans who already have publicly expressed an
interest in you.
3) Integrate with television through mobile social media. Shazam has teased that up to one- third of Super Bowl ads will have a “Shazam This”
callout. Why only one-third? Services like Shazam offer easy ways for consumers to instantly share ads and engage in other kinds of mobile experiences.
4) Provide access to the people
in or behind the spots. Our culture doesn’t just value celebrity; it values talent. Social media offers many perfect ways to connect talent with the people who care about them, whether
it’s through tweets, chats, behind the scenes video, Google+ Hangouts, or countless other options.
5) Reach out to at least one community beyond Facebook, Twitter, and
YouTube. What are your customers most passionate about? Who will be especially interested in what you have to say? Consider this an opportunity to branch out beyond your checklist or comfort
zone.
6) Bring people together in person. Are people already coming together in person to watch the game? That sounds like a social opportunity, one that can combine the
physical with the digital.
7) Offer still images that can be pinned, tumbled, and grammed. Brands invest so much in the spots that they may forget how powerful still images
are now. Make it easy for people to share images through sites like Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram. What’s great is that the brand doesn’t even need to actively participate in those
social platforms (though brands would do well to evaluate them). Just look at the images popping up on Pinterest via VW.com, with screen shots of the
Volkswagen ad teaser of dogs barking the Darth Vader theme. Now imagine how much traction there would be if VW offered still images and a simple “pin this” icon.
8) Monitor
everything. Hint: the previous example from Pinterest is actually a useful brand- monitoring tool to show images shared there from any other site. The more you know about what’s being
shared, the more you can facilitate more of that behavior, add your voice, and respond as needed.
9) Connect search and social. One way brands will start doing this is simply
by participating in Google+. That will be increasingly important this year. Beyond, that though, brands should ensure all their owned digital touchpoints are optimized for search engines. Given the
budgets involved for Feb. 5, perhaps some paid media is in order too.
10) Plan what happens after the game is over. Ideally, you’ll have all these new fans and followers
and friends, and you’ll need to give them a reason to stick with you once your promotional stunt is history. With the potential for social media to create an ongoing dialogue and even
relationships, this is an asset marketers didn’t have a decade ago. Use it.
The game lasts a few hours. The build-up takes a couple weeks. Two days after the game’s over, most of
the ads are forgotten. The mechanics of social media aren’t generally as flashy as a 30-second spot, but social experiences should last far longer.