Social media marketing must create an experience to engage audiences.

With American consumers becoming comfortable with spending significant amounts of money online, luxury brands have found new opportunities in promotional channels like social media and video content creation. Brafton reported that 85 percent of luxury brands will increase their digital marketing budgets in 2013, with 72 percent indicating they will allocate resources toward social media marketing. How effective is social media content for luxury brands, though? Does well-written copy published to Facebook or visual media pinned to Pinterest drive referral traffic and sales?

The story of Grey Goose

The popular vodka brand decided to host its interactive Hotel Noir campaign on social media sites Pinterest and Instagram. According to metrics from Compete, Facebook and Pinterest drive the third and fourth highest volumes of incoming traffic to GreyGoose.com, and these internet users also spend longer periods of time on the website.

Grey Goose CompeteThe reason Grey Goose has been so successful through these social hubs is because the company understands its audience. Marketing toward consumers aged 18 to 34 requires organizations to embrace new media channels and create interactive web experiences. Grey Goose’s Hotel Noir campaign takes full advantage of the proliferation of social media sites like Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram. In fact, the metrics show that Grey Goose’s use of the three networks in tandem with its branded site can increase traffic, engagement and conversion rates all at once.

How does the campaign work?

The campaign asks social media users to submit photos within a unique motif – a black and white design with crimson accents – through Instagram. These pictures then get pinned to Pinterest and posted to Facebook, creating a cross-platform experience. Essentially, as Compete noted, participants are promoting themselves at the same time they’re touting the joys of Grey Goose. This action helps participants feel part of the brand and gives them product ownership, but it also engages audiences and attracts the attention of consumers’ personal networks, too.

Social media marketing thrives when brands create unique narratives and ask consumers to either embrace the story or continue to tell it in their own words on their own networks. As social media content evolves to become more interactive, users will continue to connect with their favorite brands online, opening up the door for promotional ventures to seize opportunities and convert new and existing customers.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.