How Social Media is Replacing Traditional Advertising

By CHRIS POWILLS Social media has caught fire in the past few years. Businesses are continually learning how to use viral content and social media tools as a way to promote their brand and spread brand recognition. Many brands now find themselves asking, “Does social media truly help sales? Can social media be used as a successful marketing campaign? How valuable is social media?” Many smaller brands do not have the spending budget to put towards expensive advertising campaigns. Instead, brands are using free social media tools to further their reach to the individual consumer and to create more recognition for the brand. But can social media really work as an alternative to spending big money on advertisements? This is a hard question to answer, but examples have shown that when social media is done right, it can be effective. A higher fan base allows brands to leave more impressions with current and prospective consumers. Social media allows brands to be social through directly communicating with the individual consumer. This allows the brand to hold a conversation with the consumer, which helps brands figure out what works and doesn’t work from the consumer perspective. One example of a brand that has seen success through “social media done right” is Huddle House, a 400-unit family diner concept based out of Atlanta. According to Huddle House Field Marketing Manager Jeremy Lee, one of the most successful social media campaigns for his brand was Huddle House’s Summer of Waffle Love, which rewarded new Facebook fans with a coupon for a free waffle. “We then encouraged customers to take a picture of themselves enjoying their free waffle,” said Lee. “When they submitted a photo, Huddle House sent that customer a free t-shirt. There was also voting on the best picture, which encouraged fans to introduce their friends to the Fan Page in order to get more votes. The winner with the most votes won an iPad.” As seen with Huddle House’s Summer of Waffle Love, Huddle House was able to get constant fan engagement through a coupon that was promoted on their Facebook fan page. Fans submitted photos of how much they enjoyed their experience at their local Huddle House. Each photo acted as a miniature ad to show guests how fun and great the Huddle House experience is. Further, by adding in a voting aspect, fans were encouraging other consumers to like the Huddle House page, which built awareness and recognition of the brand. Lee mentioned that one of the key aspects of having an effective social media campaign is that the brand must stay in close communication with their consumer. “It is important to have constant updates. Having an agency to help monitor and communicate 24 hours a day with the guests can truly help.” One bit of advice that Lee suggests for those interested in using social media as an ad campaign is to “get the franchisees to engage with the social media promotions and contests. When locations embrace the campaign, it becomes more successful and easier to promote on a local and national level.” Using social media as a cheaper way to advertise a brand is proving effective when done correctly. However, social media campaigns are a commitment and need continued monitoring in order to be used effectively. When pages go unmonitored, detrimental or promotional comments can be overlooked. It is important to continue constant conversation with Facebook Fans in order to get constant results.