Successful communication campaigns start with specific communication objectives based upon strategic intent that stems from the company’s overall communication strategy. A social media campaign enables you to structure messages and responses that optimise impact and reach in engaging with new and prospective customers through the sales cycle and from awareness to conversion. Below are eight significant steps involved in the process of planning successful social media campaigns.
Strategic intent
The desired position of the company in relation to the current position with stakeholders is what informs strategic intent. It is formulating what needs to be changed or consolidated in order to attain the desired positioning with stakeholders.
Defining measurable goals
Social media campaigns should start with SMART objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. Campaign goals inform content strategy. It also enables you to establish how successfully the campaign is going or has been.
Identifying target audience
It is necessary to target specific campaigns to particular stakeholders because organisations may not be able to communicate with all stakeholder groups simultaneously as they do not always all respond to the same stimuli. There are also sub groups or segments within each group. It is important to identify the segment of individuals from a stakeholder group that is the focus of a particular social media campaign.
Establishing a theme
A theme based campaign emphasises a specific topic or message that is central to a particular aspect of the company such as brands, products or corporate strategy. It also showcases specific company strengths or capabilities. It considers the target audience’s demographic, interests and culture. It will be affected by the social environment and channels available.
Campaign Types
Campaign objectives determine the campaign type. Campaign types include:
Informational campaign
A campaign type that is geared at keeping customers and stakeholders informed and up to date with new products, services and company news.
Promotional campaign
This type of campaign aims at promoting sales by making customers aware of special offers, sweepstakes, discounts and so on.
Transactional campaign
This type encourages customers to make a purchase using coupons, QR codes or other promotional offerings.
Engagement campaign
This is a campaign aimed at generating specific reaction or participation from customers.
Event campaign
An event campaign is related to a particular event and communicates information that create interest and encourage participation in the event.
Choosing a message style
Message styles could be any of the following:
Rational
Factual and informational.
Emotional
When it appeals to or evokes specific emotions such as joy or excitement.
Generic
When raising awareness of issues that are industry-wide.
Symbolic association
Association with a respected or admired public figure such as a sports figure.
Pre-emptive message style is similar to Generic but communicates a superior position within the industry.
The target audience and campaign objectives are factors that determine appropriate message style or mix of message styles which can be enhanced through the use of creative and appealing stimuli.
Channels
In social media, communities control the dialogue and where it takes place, whether Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, company blog or other channel. An effective social media campaign will include all channels where the interactions are most likely to occur and where they may lead. A multichannel approach is therefore useful in ensuring a successful social media campaign.
Online efforts may also be combined with offline methods such as in the use of Quick Response QR codes which a user scans with their QR barcode reader or camera phone. QR codes can be used to enhance your campaign by providing the customer with special deals or offerings available online from the company.
City Harvest charity uses QR codes to increase donations
The budget
The budget available will affect communication objectives and the processes involved in planning and executing the campaign.
It is also essential to analyse the impact of the campaign and to evaluate it for results, whether the campaign goals were achieved or not and to what extent.
Inter-departmental collaboration is important in every organisation and is essential for an effective 
Stakeholders are those people, internal or external to your organisation, who would be affected by the decisions and activities of your organisation and who in turn have the potential or ability to affect the company.
Corporate credibility through Social CRM and Creative Communications 