Just because a company doesn’t have the largest advertising budget doesn’t mean they can’t stand out against their competitors. You don’t have to be running an extremely expensive ad campaign to reach consumers. Social media internet marketing campaigns can provide a far more affordable outlet to differentiate your company from competition. Facebook and Twitter pages have limitations that high profile checkbooks can’t break through. A mom and pop sandwich shop in Minnesota will have the same basic Facebook and Twitter layout as the sandwich powerhouse, Subway. Five companies have been able to think outside the box and implement campaigns utilizing social media outlets to break through the clutter and reach consumers.
1. BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota 
BlueCross decided to set up a campaign called the Human Doing. What they decided to do is put an average Minnesota resident, Scott Jorgenson, inside a glass apartment inside the Mall of America. He would be living in this apartment for a month in order to exhibit the benefits of exercise. He transitions from having no workout routine to undergoing a workout schedule which consists of exercise for ten minutes, three to five times a day. The social media implementation is that Facebook and Twitter users can dictate what exercise he does for each workout. Through this campaign, BlueCross exhibits the problems of unhealthy weight and inadequate exercise. Then they provide a reasonable solution for the everyday American that everyone can witness and be a part of.
2. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
Kraft developed a relatively simpler internet marketing management campaign than BlueCross where they monitored Twitter followers. When Kraft discovered two individuals that wrote “mac & cheese” in a tweet, they send them each a message that says “Mac & Jinx”. The first person to respond receives a free shirt and five boxes of Mac & Cheese. This is a great campaign with a low price tag that builds relationships with users. Followers become more motivated to interact with Kraft on social media and share with their friends.
3. Reinhert Sausage
What can a sausage company possibly do with social media? Reinhert has a great talent for making custom sized and shaped sausages. They developed an ingenious Facebook application to reach consumers. Facebook followers upload their photos onto the application, and then the application shows them a picture of their face transformed into a cold cut. This application is a fun and easy way for users to engage the company. Plus, the end result is related to their product.
4. Ingo
Ingo is the product of two ad agencies merging together. Ingo wanted to get involved with social media and their followers. To do this, they invited followers to log into Facebook and view the new logo of the new company. Every time a follower logged into the site, their Facebook photo was uploaded to the logo. The logo essentially became a mosaic of their Facebook fan profile pictures. Each time pictures were added, the logo go bigger and bigger. This is a great idea because it is such a simple way to get followers to become part of the brand name, literally.
5. GranataPet
GranataPet is a pet food brand that took social media interaction to next level. They put up a billboard in Germany that invited users to check in on Foursquare. When the user checks in on Foursquare, a food dispenser connected with the billboard sends out dog food into a bowl. You can actually watch a video of the billboard in action on YouTube. This is a great campaign because it moves consumers onto the fast track right to the trial phase.
You can see it doesn’t take a multi-million dollar ad campaign to get your brand on the top of consumers’ minds and the tip of their tongues. Social media can be a powerful tool if used effectively. A cutting edge consumer link building strategy through social media is just waiting to be implemented. Companies just have to start thinking outside-the-box on how to utilize it. Contact us today to get started on a successful social media marketing campaign.