Technology allows marketers to communicate with their customers in many ways.

The ability to engage with customers by managing and building a Social Media presence is important. Even more critical is the ability to then use technology to continue communicating with an audience from the first introduction to the final sale. This large tech-heavy task when done right, can lead to exceptional ROI and prove that your social media marketing efforts are not in vain.

But how can marketers transform large audience engagement on social media into sales leads and then revenue?

The Birth of an Interactive Campaign

Colorado-based, Avery Brewing Company has blended Old World tradition and expertise with ingenuity, creativity and boldness for over two decades. The knowledge of making craft beer infused with the creative spirit of their ale spills over into their marketing.

Avery Brewing Company runs an interactive social media campaign called #WhiteRascalWednesday to promote its Belgian Witbier, White Rascal. Although Avery is far from being the first company to run an interactive social media campaign, Starbucks with their #WhiteCupContest and TOMS shoes with #WithoutShoes campaign achieved incredible success, this campaign stuck out to me the first time I saw it. I found #WhiteRascalWednesday because I follow Avery on Instagram (@averybrewingco) and because, well… I love their beer. However, what got my marketing mind fired up was thinking about how many people know about #WhiteRascalWednesday today despite having never heard of Avery Brewing Company.

Let’s look at what a company, like Avery, can do with the surge in traffic to increase their overall marketing success.

Customers Make the Best Marketers

So why does Jimmy Beerdrinker post a picture on Instagram of a can of Avery White Rascal in front of a beautiful snow covered mountain? Because it is #WhiteRascalWednesday, that is why. Jimmy wants to be a part of this grand event. He is drinking White Rascal on a Wednesday, after all. What happens when Jimmy posts the picture? First, his followers are exposed to Avery Brewing Co. and everyone who likes that photo is now a potential customer! Great campaigns lead to a massive increase in followers, ad recall, favorability, publicity, popularity and could even start a trend. When customers are voluntarily engaging with a brand, good things are bound to come from it. Not to mention, people typically follow accounts with similar interests, so Jimmy’s followers can inevitably create a mega-specific target market for Avery. Also, Jimmy is marketing for Avery for free and customers will likely enjoy the pitch coming from Jimmy more than they would if it came from Avery. They follow Jimmy for a reason after all.

Managing Customer Relationships

How can a company like Avery make the most of an opportunity like this one? It starts with Customer Relationship Management (CRM). If someone who finds a friend posting about your company and follows you or checks out your page, it’s important to make sure that there are plenty of ways for that person to end up in a lead database on a CRM software, such as SalesForce. One way could be a link in your social media account bio that takes the clicker to a website homepage, blog, product page, or anything that a follower would be interested in seeing.

Someone visiting a company social media page probably wants more. Make sure to give them the opportunity to get more. Whatever “more” is, be sure to include a form that sends information straight to your CRM software. You now have a new lead. Keep in mind there are many ways to take a prospect from a from being a “liker” or “follower” on social media to a lead in your CRM software; this is just one of them.

Keeping the Fun Going with New Leads

Oh! The sweet sensation of having a new lead in SalesForce? Is this the end? NO! This new lead is not just any lead. Amy Lead liked her friend Jimmy Beerdrinker and decided to follow Avery on Instagram. Amy is feeling wild and decides to click on a link in Avery’s bio and sign up for more information on Avery Brewing Co. Is Amy just like all of Avery’s leads? Ready to take on a wealth of information and buying opportunities? The likely answer is no.

Amy followed Avery and wanted to learn more about it because of the fun atmosphere created by the #WhiteRascalWednesday campaign. It is now Avery’s job to not let this facade slip away. Avery cannot sell to Amy. They need to provide Amy with more fun content that familiarizes her with Avery and grows the positive brand association that all started with #WhiteRascalWednesday. When Amy can relate Avery Brewing Company to #WhiteRascalWednesday and other fun content that she could easily find, Avery will stick out to her at the store and on beer lists.

The Whole Story: Easy Publicity to Leads, Drives Sales

It is infinitely valuable when customers share your brand message with their friends and followers. When you have your customers marketing for you, it provides you with a targeted market and improves the connection between your company and your consumer. A creative and fun interactive campaign is like a great laugh: it is infectious. However, starting an interactive campaign is not even half the journey. What you do with the campaign success is the most important part.

Don’t attract followers without giving them the opportunity to become a lead in your CRM software. Moreover, don’t forget from where these leads came. Your leads enjoyed your creative and interactive campaign. It is now your job to prolong that enjoyment and increase the positive association with your brand by nurturing each lead. If the consumer likes your company, they will buy what your business has to offer. Gain awareness with an infectious interactive campaign, turn those participants into leads, make the leads happy, and they will turn into customers.

Now let’s start counting down the days to #WhiteRascalWednesday, you know I am.

About the Author

Matt is loving life as a Distribion intern. On his way to getting a BA in Music and BBA in Marketing at Southern Methodist University (SMU), he is able to apply what he is learning in SMU’s Cox School of Business to his work at Distribion. More than that, he loves working in a place where he learns something new every day!

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