Social media marketing has become a necessity for many businesses to attract people’s attention to a brand or product. As American journalist and activist Mark Trahant notes, social media today is more than a tool for communication—it has the power to connect communities and amplify voices. Many successful social media marketing examples caught my attention. I will discuss each of them later in the blog.
While well-recognized names like Coca-Cola, Nike, and Starbucks dominate many conversations about social media marketing, we’d like to talk about other iconic brands that have made waves with their creative, unhackneyed campaigns.
In this Article:
Here are five bright social media marketing examples of brands using social media promotion strategies in innovative and effective ways.
Glossier: Community-Driven Growth on Instagram
Strategy Used: User-generated content, influencer marketing, and Instagram stories
Glossier, a beauty brand founded in 2014, built its following almost solely through social media. Rather than investing heavily in traditional advertising, Glossier took a customer-centric approach, having relied on user-generated content and Instagram to create a cult-like community around its products.
What makes Glossier’s social media presence exceptional is the brand’s focus on user-generated content. The company encourages its customers to share their experiences and looks by posting photos on their pages and tagging the brand on Instagram. The company then reshares these posts on Glossier’s official account, giving customers the opportunity to feel part of the brand’s community.
Glossier also implements influencer marketing, but not in the traditional sense, such as cooperating with big celebrities. The brand chooses micro-influencers, individuals with smaller but highly engaged audiences, and its own loyal customers to spread the word. The authenticity of real users adds credibility to Glossier, making it a powerhouse on platforms like Instagram.
Key Takeaway:
Building a community and using user-generated content will help nurture brand loyalty and enhance customer engagement.
Wendy’s: Sassy Twitter Engagement
Strategy Used: Real-time marketing, humor, audience interaction
The American fast-food chain Wendy’s has carved out a niche on Twitter with its witty and, at times, snarky tweets. The brand is a social media marketing example of how a less conventional, more human voice can win customers’ hearts.
One of the most viral social media moments with Wendy’s was when a customer asked how many retweets it would take to give him a year’s supply of chicken nuggets. Wendy’s “18 million” response led to a massive online movement to help the user reach the goal. Referred to as #NuggsForCarter, this campaign ended up being one of the most retweeted posts in history, giving Wendy’s enormous exposure.
Besides, Wendy’s engages with its audience through clever and savage comebacks to competitor brands and users alike. It consistently entertains its followers, and such an approach has elevated Wendy’s to one of the most-loved brands on Twitter.
Key Takeaway:
Real-time marketing and a unique brand voice can make a company memorable, attracting more and more customers and building a loyal fan base.
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Gymshark: Fitness Influencer Partnerships on YouTube and Instagram
Strategy Used: Influencer marketing, community building, and hashtag campaigns
Gymshark is a UK-based fitness apparel brand that became viral due to its social media strategy. Early on, the brand embraced influencer marketing on YouTube and Instagram, specifically partnering with fitness influencers who had significant followings in the workout and bodybuilding communities.
What sets Gymshark apart is that it didn’t reach out to random influencers to promote its products. Instead, it collaborated with athletes and fitness personalities who shared the same values as the brand and had super-engaged followings. The influencers created content not only showcasing Gymshark’s apparel but also offering workout advice, fitness tips, and motivational messages, which strengthened the brand’s association with fitness expertise.
In addition to influencer marketing, Gymshark launched several hashtag campaigns to generate a buzz around its products as well as fitness culture. For instance, the #Gymshark66 campaign challenges users to form a habit or achieve a fitness goal in 66 days, encouraging them to post their progress on social media while tagging the brand. This technique is a huge driver of user-generated content. What’s more, this strengthens a sense of community among participants.
Key Takeaway:
Influencer marketing combined with hashtag campaigns contributes to better visibility and community building and motivates users to participate and engage.
Spotify: Personalized Campaigns on Twitter and Instagram
Strategy Used: Data-driven marketing, personalized content, and viral campaigns
Spotify, the world’s most popular online music streaming service, has earned an excellent reputation via its effective social media strategies. The platform is known for its data-driven marketing campaigns, especially its annual “Spotify Wrapped” feature. This campaign taps into personal listening data from users to create personalized year-in-review summaries that they can easily share on social media.
By offering each user unique, personalized content, Spotify has successfully turned a typically private activity, listening to music, into a public one. The campaign became viral as users eagerly posted their customized Spotify Wrapped graphics on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, creating an organic promotion for the company.
Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” feature works on the same principle. Every week, Spotify offers its users personalized playlists, keeping them interested and providing them with shareable content.
Thus, the company can transform data into content that resonates with audiences, encouraging them to share their experiences and act as Spotify brand ambassadors on social media.
Key Takeaway:
Personalized content and data-driven campaigns can create a sense of connection among users and increase their engagement.
Lush Cosmetics: Ethical Branding on Instagram and YouTube
Strategy Used: Ethical marketing, storytelling, social responsibility
Lush is a cosmetics brand committed to environmental and ethical causes that has managed to promote its products via social media. And here’s how. Lush uses ethical marketing, highlighting various initiatives around sustainable sourcing, cruelty-free testing, and eco-friendly packaging on its Instagram and YouTube accounts.
From the #LushLife series on Instagram, where they showcase employees and the making of products, to YouTube videos that discuss their fair-trade ingredients and activism, Lush positions itself as more than just a cosmetics brand. These stories behind its products with an emphasis on social responsibility in Lush’s strategy attract a large number of loyal customers who share the brand’s values.
Key Takeaway:
Aligning social media campaigns with ethical values can help a brand build trust and loyalty, especially among socially conscious consumers.
Final Takeaway on Social Media Marketing Examples
These social media marketing examples show how brands can achieve success using various strategies that suit the overall goals and personality of the company—from community-driven content to real-time humor, influencer marketing, and ethical storytelling. Each brand capitalizes on the strengths of its respective social platforms.
However, they stood out because they found the right approach to their audience and effectively promoted their values and products.
By learning from these bright examples, businesses of all sizes can adjust their strategies to thrive in the dynamic world of social media.
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