In the past, publishers covered every step of the process, from creating content, to curation and distribution. They were the opinion leaders of trends, brands and products.

But as technology became more sophisticated, it brought new channels that gave an avenue for new voices, influencers and a massive publishing system for both companies and the audience they are targeting.

Brands now operate like media machines in the current marketing environment. They employ former writers and create, publish and share a trove of their own content to showcase opinion leadership, raise awareness and search for and keep new customers.

As publication is simplified on online, mobile and social platforms, users can also post pictures and their thoughts and curate their own readers. This is a game-changer as it allows them to influence and reach out to large audiences without the need of a traditional publication.

Just using digital channels such as Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter to share content gives consumers more influence, making them essential to brand marketing campaigns. It is now crucial for companies to take note of and then leverage on their audience’s opinions to give substance and add credibility to their marketing efforts.

In a campaign, the brand’s content, advertising and marketing need to be relatable to the targeted consumers. More importantly, users need to be inspired by it enough to share, discuss and even get involved in the effort.

So does a campaign become more reliable and authentic once a user takes part? The answer is an emphatic yes.

Making your campaigns social

Most brands understand that they have to make tools available for customers to take part in their campaigns. Getting your message out and being creative is not sufficient anymore; for a successful campaign, you also need your audience to add their own content, thoughts and ideas.  

Bear in mind that enhancing your marketing campaigns requires your activities to have an underlying social motivator that will spur more engagement and sharing. This involves more effort than just simply adding a social element after planning a marketing campaign. For example, merely putting up a TV ad on YouTube is inadequate from a marketing perspective.

To ensure your consumer-driven marketing campaign is intrinsically social, its core ideas need to pull your audience into sharing and taking part in an experience. This will allow them to broaden the scope of your campaign by entering a discussion with the brand, product and other users. When you present consumers with an experience they desire, you have the chance to widen your reach – without any extra cost for media buys.