This years World Cup hosted in South Africa is the first since the explosive expansion of Social Media marketing. The 2006 tournament held in Germany was at a time when these sites were nowhere near as big as they are today.

 This summer’s tournament will be like music to the ears of the Fifa World Cup partners as they can expect thriving business this year due to the advertisement they will get. Partners include: McDonalds, Budweiser, Sony, Visa, Coca Cola and Adidas.

 So what can smaller businesses to step up their global marketing under the glow of FIFA?

 It’s Waka, Waka time on social media!

 Facebook, Twitter and Youtube are all abuzz with football fans rooting for their team, celebrating team wins and moaning defeats. Advertisers are having a field day, leveraging the power of social media to promote their mighty brands.

 Looking At The Big Brands

 There’s heavy-duty competition on the social media turf among the big brands. The heat is on to catch the larger social media mind space.

 Nike seems to have taken the early lead. According to independent studies by Nielsen and Meltwater, Nike  has generated the most buzz online in the lead up to the World Cup. Much greater than Adidas, it’s arch-rival and official sponsor. Coca Cola, Sony, Visa and other FIFA partners are lagging far behind.

 Nike’s Success.

 So, what’s drives Nike’s success? Nike’s smart use of its 3-minute television commercial ‘Write the future’, featuring Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and even Homer Simpson. The commercial has been viewed over 14 million times since mid-May. What’s so amazing about the success of Nike campaign is that it effectively blurs the line between traditional media and social media. It really brings out the best that Web 2.0 offers – INTERACTIVITY.

• People watch – Nike TVC.
• People watch again when they like something – Nike TVC on Youtube.
• People talk about it and encourage others to watch it – Nike TVC discussed on Facebook/Twitter.

 That ultimately spells the success of the Nike World Cup campaign. And it also brings to the forefront the term ambush marketing, which refers to an ad campaign run by a company that’s not directly affiliated to an event like the FIFA World Cup. And Nike’s success only goes on to prove that ambush marketing works great with social media. The reason being the high level of virality involved. Everyone knows that the potential of viral messages is indeed tremendous, and the reach goes beyond geographical boundaries.

 Adidas

 Adidas has launched its Adidas FIFA World Cup Match-Ups on Facebook and also unveiled a star-studded commercial as a part of its Quest campaign. Budweiser has launched a World Cup-inspired online reality TV series. The “Bud United” series follows 32 football fans – one representing each nation playing the World Cup – living together for the duration of the tournament.

 Sony

 Sony Ericsson has its own share of social media activity on Facebook UK backed by TV personalities David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and James Corden. Every major advertiser – sponsor or otherwise – has something big going on in the social media circuit.

 The effectiveness of individual campaigns has to be watched for. However, there is no denying the fact that social media has changed the way the world advertises. There is much to learn from these big brands.

 The Top Tips To Score With FIFA

 1. Start Slow

 While you may eventually want to create a presence on more than one social media site, you don’t need to dive into all of them at once. Pick one site that you are most comfortable with or that is the most relevant to your company and/or products, and create an account and a public profile.

 2. Learn the Game

 Observe how others, including your competition, are participating on the social media platform you chose above. Write down what seems to work and what does not, and what you like and what you do not. Take special note of how people interact. Is it a one-way conversation or are both parties participating? What’s the tone of the conversations?

 3. Develop a Plan

 It’s one thing to participate in social media but to do so without a plan can be frustrating and even damaging to your business. Think through your goals – what are you hoping to gain from your social media interactions? Then work backwards to create a process that will accomplish what you are aiming to do.

 4. Monitor Your Brand

 Part of an effective social media campaign is keeping track of who is talking about your company, what is being said, and how others are reacting to it. Using a set of social media monitoring tools will help you stay on top of this…and it may even help you find new business opportunities.

 5. Stay Human

Even though you are representing a business, don’t ignore the importance of the “social” element. Allow your interactions to retain the human side that will facilitate genuine connections. And don’t think you need to be all business, all the time. Giving a personal feel to your presence will make your business more approachable and relatable.

 

6. Be Responsive

 

There is nothing worse than a company attempting to be active across social media, but ignoring the masses. Once you commit to a social media marketing campaign, you should also commit to responding to questions, complaints and other input from your customers.

 

7. Ask for Feedback

 

One powerful use for social media in business is as a customer service tool. Instead of waiting for a customer to air a complaint, use social media as a way to engage and interact with your audience. Ask for feedback, reviews and insight to help you reach your target more effectively. And be sure to thank everyone who chimes in individually.

 

8. Be Consistent

Your profiles, comments, posts and conversations should stay true to your company’s overall mission and values. If more than one person is posting on behalf of your company, it’s vital to have a standard tone and guidelines for consistency. Once you expand your reach to more than one social media site, consistency is even more important.

 The tips derived from the best marketing strategies employed from the leading brands will help you to score greatly in these days of the FIFA Fever and will boost your business in the global market.