Coffee companies might not be what many people consider ideal candidates for effective social media campaigns. After all, coffee is about smells, feelings, and that initial jolt in the morning as the caffeine winds its way into the bloodstream. But coffee can be a visual experience too. People love a beautiful head of foam, or crema, in their espresso. Just seeing one can set off endorphins and feeling of joy and happiness. That’s before the senses of smell or taste enter the picture.
What does that mean for coffee companies seeking to make a bigger splash on social media? It means the sky is the limit for possibilities when it comes to social media and social media campaigns.
Where can Coffee Companies Begin?
Twitter and Facebook have been the reigning champions of social media advertising and marketing since the invention of social media as a means of advertising. While they continue to be powerhouses, for visual marketing efforts, there are other options that offer more effective results in the form of social media networks, like:
- SnapChat
- YouTube
These venues allow social media campaigns to include video and still images alike in their marketing campaigns. This means that while coffee companies remain unable to appeal to the sense of taste or smell within their social media marketing campaigns, they may continue to address the sense of sight by offering visually appealing images and videos into the mix that are designed to grab the attention of coffee lovers and evoke memories of those tastes and scents.
In the 1980s – and for more than a decade after – there was a television commercial for the Folger’s coffee brand that played during the holidays. While audiences couldn’t smell the rich aroma of the coffee or taste its delicious flavor, the commercial made those things real by intertwining them with the “feel good” message centered around what so many families did, or wished to do, every morning – sharing a cup of coffee with loved ones.
The world has changed since then as has the preferences of people when it comes to drinking coffee. No one had any idea of social media back in 1985. We hadn’t even mastered the idea of a 24-hour news cycle at that time. Now, people have access to massive amounts of media distractions 24 x 7. It can be overwhelming, and it is infinitely easy for coffee companies to get lost in the noise of so many competitors. To launch effective social media campaigns, coffee companies must do the following:
- Know your target audience.
- Make the message visually appealing.
- Keep it relevant to your audience.
- Offer substance in the message.
- Engage your audience often.
- Leave the audience thirsty for more.
With these strategies front and center in social media campaigns for coffee lovers, coffee companies of all shapes and sizes are sure to offer social media marketing messages that appeal to their audiences.
SME Paid Under
About the Author
