Social Media Campaigns – Kristina Kelly Creations

Mother’s Day is one of those holidays that brands should be extra thoughtful and considerate in their social media content marketing. They should not allow themselves to be blinded by dollar signs when they find out that U.S. consumers spent a crazy $21.4B last Mother’s Day. I wonder how many runny eggs, cheap chocolates, and carnations that is.

Every year, people love to highlight the most powerful, creative, funny, and touching Mom’s Day ads. Check out these lists from HubSpot, Verily, and Campaign. All of these examples are different. Some are tearjerkers, while others are corny and hilarious, but there is one thing that they all have in common. Did you catch it?

Not one ad pushed their agenda. No hard sales. No capitalizing on the hundreds of hours mom busted her ass at work to put food on the table, countless dishes she washed or tears she wiped away. Let’s talk about how you walk the line between appropriately promoting your business and pissing off moms everywhere.

1. All moms are created equal.

This is the starting point for any Mother’s Day campaign. Mom does not mean stay-at-home wife and mother of three. Being a mother can look a million different ways and social media managers need to take this into consideration. From expecting moms to dog moms and moms who lost to moms who adopted, do not alienate or offend any of these amazing people.

2. It is the thought that matters.

I think I picked weeds for my mom as a kid for Mother’s Day and I’m sure she put them in a vase and gushed over them. I even recall trying to make a dollhouse for my stepmom one year and never finished it for her, but she never held that against me. Looking back, she was probably happy that I didn’t finish it!

Either way, the thought was genuine and easily recognized as such. If your business wants to push some money-making deal, your audience will see the thought behind your BOGO or 20% off offer. Don’t try to make a buck off of mom. It should be a day of honoring and giving back to mom. Seventh Generation had a great example of this a couple years ago. Be respectful and the sales will follow organically.

3. Show your human side.

Regardless of the size of your business, what you sell or your marketing budget, be true to the human nature of the day. It isn’t appropriate to push a self-serving agenda. Your brand should treat moms how you want other brands to treat your momma.

Still unsure of your campaign? Scroll to the bottom of this list for epic Mother’s Day marketing fails. I mean, whoa, don’t do that. Even a little. Ever.

Need help with your Mother’s Day social media campaign? Email me at kristina@ littleenginesocialmedia. I’d love to make sure that you don’t muck it up!

I shouldn’t be sharing this tip. I should stuff it deep in my pocket and use it for the day I’m finally published (yes, I’m staying optimistic). However, the social media manager in me is dying to share this helpful tidbit. So, all you genius, over-achieving bastard authors (I’m not jealous) can enjoy it now and hopefully it will still be cool when I try it.

What is Twibbon?

According to Twibbon it “is the best free tool on the web to increase exposure, likes and support.” Interested? Thought so.

A Twibbon Campaign supports a cause, brand or organization on Facebook and Twitter in a variety of ways. My two favorite features are the ability to add an overlay to your supporters’ Facebook or Twitter profile pics AND they can publish a message of support on their Facebook or Twitter accounts.

When should authors use Twibbon?

Your book release is the perfect reason to use this microsite. Leading up to the release, your friends, family, and fans can change their profile images to show your brand and share messages of your upcoming release. Unlike a tweet or post, the content won’t wither and die in a couple hours. Every time they publish content their profile photo shows your messaging. Score!

How would it look?

Let’s use examples from two one of my favorite book series. George R.R. Martin gathers people in droves when his books come out, so he could use Twibbon as a way to show House pride*. Oh, could you imagine the conversation that would organically happen when you find out your coworker is House Greyjoy (gag!). Here’s a mockup of A Dance with Dragons release on my Facebook profile pic with my House of choice. Dragons rule.

Now for my girl crush, Gena Showalter and her Lords of the Underworld series. She is also a bestselling author that is adored by many, but Twibbon would help fans like me show my support and excitement for the weeks leading up to her LOTU next release, which is The Darkest Torment on May 31, 2016! A tattooed butterfly is her series brand. It looks way better on a supernatural hero, but you get the idea.

I’m actually using Twibbon now for the Muscular Dystrophy Association Shamrock Campaign. Not only was I a former MDA employee, but I wholeheartedly believe in their efforts to cure muscular diseases, like Duchenne MD. This is a Facebook post I was able to share from their Twibbon campaign.

Why it works!

Awareness and impressions. Throw a hashtag in your overlay and in your social media content and you’re likely to see a spike in followers and mentions. It gives your followers an opportunity to be brand ambassadors for your upcoming book release.

So, please try to give me sympathy and support when I can finally use Twibbon after I publish a book and you have a naked profile pic. Well, not naked…I think that is frowned upon in social. I mean a bare, a bare profile pic.

*To make this work you would have to set a campaign for each House.