INtroduction
What is BookWealth?
A new subscription service for readers. Users input books they’ve read (along with ratings) as well as books they want to read. From this the service will curate a list of 5 book recommendations each month that the user will select one to be sent. BookWealth also provides a social element so customers can see who else is currently reading the same book and invite friends to read with them.
*BookWealth a fictional brand I created for the purpose of my CareerFoundry Intro to Digital Marketing course
Project Overview
The challenge
Launch an organic social media campaign to raise awareness of BookWealth and increase engagement from potential customers.
The Goal
- Average 10 likes per post
- Average 10 shares per post
- Gain 50 new followers
the process
- Identify and create a target persona to target with this campaign.
- Define brand guidelines to determine look and feel of BookWealth
- Create content aimed at the target persona following the brand guidelines that is engaging and speaks to the audience
the tools
- Canva
- AI Leonardo
- Meta Analysis
target persona
“kimberly”
demographics
- Age: 28
- Gender: female
- Location: urban
- Employment Status: full-time
Personality traits
- Introverted
- Creative
- Curious
- Intelligent
- Thoughtful
circumstances
- Varied social life with friends near and far
- Prefers small group or 1:1 activities
- Stable career with comfortable income
- College educated
- Single, Independent
needs & wants
- A way to spend free time that engages the mind
- Ways to have meaningful connections with friends
- Balance of structure and options
Brand guidelines
Unique Value Proposition
We offer a personalized book selection so that you can focus on the joy of reading and connecting with friends
Voice – How should it sound?
- Thoughtful
- Livley
- Relaxed
Tone – How should it feel?
- Inspired
- Joyful
- Engaged
strategy
platform
Instagram: This social media platform is used primarily by women aged 20-40 with middle to high incomes- demographics shared by target persona ‘Kimberly’.
tactic
Giveaway: Followers can enter to win their first book free by liking and sharing posts. The aim is to reach more potential customers by incentivizing viewers to engage with the content (through likes and shares). Increasing followers will increase the audience and awareness of the brand.
Practice
3 posts with clear calls to action (CTAs) and popular reading hashtags all aimed at promoting the giveaway
Content Creation
Post 1
Process
Used AI to create an image of an inviting stack of books sharing the brand colors. It evokes a sense of possibility and a multitude of options without being overwhelming.
Key Insights
AI was used as I found it challenging to find an image that looked and felt how I imagined. This post received the least likes and engagement leading me to the conclusion that the audience did not respond well to the AI image. For future posts, I chose to only use ‘real’ images rather than any AI generated imagry.
Post Caption: So many books, so little time. How many books on your to be read list? Comment below and follow for advice on finding that next book! BookWealth #TBR #NextBookToRead #Books #Reader #FallInWithaBook
post 2
Process
The aim of this post was to highlight the social aspect of the service and invite viewers to share with friends. The popular C.S. Lewis quote and image of two readers speaks to the persona’s want to engage socially in a way that is thoughtful and quiet.
Key Insights
This post performed better than the first but fell short of the goal for shares. As the CTA in the post does not ask for shares, I learned the importance of connecting the CTA to the metrics I was targeting. For the final post, I adjusted accordingly.
Post Copy: Prolific author C.S. Lewis has the right idea. Tag who you want to share a reading journey with this fall! #BookWealth #Reading #ReadWithMe #Books
post 3
Process
Once again I could not find an image that captured the look and feel I wanted. As I learned from the first post in the series, my audience did not respond well to an AI image, so I took the picture myself. The line of nondescript books snaking through the center is a playful take on a never-ending to-be-read pile. It demonstrates the problem BookWealth seeks to solve by offering personalized recommendations.
Key Insights
This post recevied the highest number of likes and engagement telling me the message and imagery resonated with the audience. This post also had a very clear CTA to like and share. As such it was the most successful.
Post Copy: Let us help you find your next book! For the month of October, like this post, then tag and share with your reading buddies for a chance to win your first book free. Each unique tag and share counts as an entry! #BookWealth #BookRecommendations #Book #Reading #ReadWithMe #FallInWithABook
results
25
Followers (target = 50)
41
Likes (target = 30)
3
Shares (target = 30)
conclusion
What went well?
I succeeded in creating clear brand guidelines and aligning how this brand would look, feel, and communicate with the target persona. This helped me in crafting content for the campaign and ensuring each post stood out yet belonged in the set and was recognizable as belonging to the BookWealth brand. Additionally in selecting Instagram as the platform for this campaign, I am confident I placed the content in the right place for the targeted audience.
What didn’t go well?
As this was my very first foray into launching a digital marketing campaign, I found myself selecting a timeline and target metrics arbitrarily. I picked a month-long duration for the giveaway without being aware I would only have time within the course for a couple of days. As a result, the campaign went for 3 days. I selected my target metrics without knowing what was realistic. These two major missteps and lack of foresight set my campaign up for failure.
future steps
From this first project, I learned the importance of defining the timeline at the outset of a campaign. I now know setting specific, measurable, realistic, actionable, and time-bound (SMART) goals are important in defining the strategy of a campaign and inform the content creation. If I were to run this campaign again, I’d adjust the goals for likes, shares, and new followers to be more realistic for a 5 day campaign. I would also add more content and utilize other tools on Instagram to promote engagement (such as stories, reels, and polls).
refelctions
I am proud of this first attempt. On reflection the visuals and brand guidelines remain strong, and the content I created feels compelling. The results remain disappointing but are by no means a mystery. Being able to critically look at my approach and process illuminates my mistakes and points to clear opportunites or growth.
megan kalan 