Okay, guys, admit it. Here you are, an adult – a grown-up, fully immersed in the world of reality and responsibility. You read every publication related to your industry. You read all the latest business books to keep yourself motivated and inspired. And yet, you also, somehow, find time to read that new young adult fiction novel that’s flying off the shelves. And all its sequels. And all the other books that author has ever written. There’s nothing wrong with indulging your inner kid. In fact, young adult fiction offers some pretty intense storylines, breathtaking enough to get anyone hooked. Twilight, anyone? And what about Harry Potter? Or maybe even The Lightning Thief? Well, that same magic is what we want to harness in our online marketing campaigns. Not necessarily the whole vampire/wizard/Greek god type of magic, but the magic that hooks us from that first sentence, and then keeps us up past midnight reading. The magic that turns casual readers into raving fans. So what can we do to tap into this amazing power? Here’s a guide to making an online marketing campaign as awesome as a teen vampire romance.
1. Make your basic premise a good one.
Twilight would not have been nearly as popular if it hadn’t had that whole cool “my vampire boyfriend wants to kill me” thing going for it. Try something unique in your campaign, something that’s never been done before. Approach your product or service from a dramatic new angle. For example, we here at Zen Media could talk about, oh, we don’t know…maybe…how our social media marketing campaigns are as awesome as vampire novels. (Aha! See what we just did there?)
2. Hook readers immediately with your very first sentence.
“I’d never given much thought to how I would die – though I’d had reason enough in the last few months – but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.” Hmmm, let’s see. Yep, hooked. Stephenie Meyer knew what she was doing there. You need to come up with a similarly intriguing first Facebook or Twitter post to kick off your campaign, so that your followers are dying to learn more.
3. Your main character should be someone everyone can identify with.
Just about everyone can imagine themselves as Bella Swan, and that’s the appeal – readers can easily put themselves into the story. (Well, okay, maybe not the guys…) Your online marketing campaign should aim to connect with customers in a similar way. It should be relatable, something that shows your fans that you get them, that you understand what they’re into and what’s important to them.
4. Tell an engaging story.
All those unexpected plot twists and turns? All those breathless races to save someone or prepare for battle? That’s what keeps those pages turning way past bedtime. The narrative you create for your campaign has to be just as engaging. Make it into a storyline, whether fiction or nonfiction, to keep customers’ attention riveted on your company.
5. Keep the stories coming.
Twilight fans looked forward to each new book in the series ravenously, and became devoted followers of Stephenie Meyer herself, in the process. In the same way, you’ve got to leverage the excitement created by your online marketing campaign to keep the interest level high in each subsequent campaign – thus creating a loyal community of fans for your business.
