Nowadays social media are critical elements of each and every successful online campaign. Without a presence on Facebook and Twitter, your reputation is endangered not only because you clearly don't get social media (#fail), but also because you have no level of control over what others are saying about you.
We have bad news though. Profiles on Facebook and Twitter are no longer enough. Launching a relationship with niche audiences online is the second step in establishing a successful, innovative campaign. But these niche audiences can be easily targeted through social networking sites centered around a particular theme. There is a wide variety of those, including female-oriented networks such as iVillage, gay social networking communities such as Jake, parents-oriented ones like CafeMom, black social networks like Black Planet, or hubs for movie-lovers like Flixter, to name just a few.
The abundance of social networking sites means that if you dig deep enough you will find an outlet on the web that gathers your niche customers, no matter what you are trying to market or how you are trying to sell it. You may question the benefits of investing your time and money in developing a relationship with a niche social network, but I'm here to convince you otherwise.
First, you are working on increasing your visibility online. Depending on the elements of the partnership you set up, your content may appear on various online platforms owned by your partner. The elements of the partnership may include paid media elements such as customized homepage takeovers, the creation of a brand-endorsed profile for your product, email marketing, or participation in the partner's newsletter. Remember that most of these social networks also have Facebook and Twitter profiles through which they can cross-promote the partnership and help you reach another tier of the audience on these major social networks.
One great example of this type of partnership came when Sony Pictures Entertainment promoted the film "Julie and Julia" by teaming up with BakeSpace.com, a cooking-themed social network.
"Julie and Julia" depicts the life of chef Julia Child, contrasting it with that of Julie Powell, a blogger who aspired to cook all 524 recipes from Child's cookbook. The target audience for the movie consisted of web-savvy culinary bloggers, mommy bloggers, and women in general. BakeSpace, which touts itself as "the world's first recipe exchange and social network for people passionate about food, cooking, and baking," was a great choice, target audience-wise. The partnership included the creation of a "Julie and Julia" profile, endorsed by the site itself. If users became friends of the "Julie and Julia" profile, they were entered to win an advanced screening pass to the movie, which attracted new members to join the network but also generated digital word of mouth (WOM).
The official profile also included a Media Box player, which carried pictures and videos from the movie, thus fulfilling the page's promotional purposes. In order to cater to the interest of the audience, the profile utilized My Recipe Box to share Julia Child's recipes. The My Fridge section, acting as a Facebook wall of sorts, opened the door to conversation with fans who posted there. In addition, the background of the "Julie & Julia" profile was an adjusted version of the movie poster, announcing the date of the premiere of the movie.
Sony Pictures also ran banners on the homepage and across other sub-sites, with the ads carrying the trailer and clips from the movie. At the same time, BakeSpace mentioned the movie on its official Facebook Page, thus ensuring cross-promotion. Overall, Sony Pictures managed to target its primary audience, cater to its needs, and establish a strategic relationship that suited the company's needs.
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