By: Tori Lutz

Learning the ins and outs of social media marketing is an unavoidable part of running a modern brand. With nearly half of the global population using social networks every month, the social media user base has become one of the most lucrative and researchable demographics the business world has ever seen.

Given the over-saturation of brands on social platforms, vying for user attention at every turn, how is a digitally adept business supposed to stand out and be heard? In this article, we’ll talk about an often-overlooked facet of social marketing: promotional models.

Promo Models: What and Why

 You may know promotional talent primarily from smiling and waving at the crowd from floats, or trade show models greeting attendees and getting them to view a particular booth. However, promo models can be the perfect fit for social media, due to several reasons.

First, social media is, as the name implies, primarily social. Its function is to connect people to other people. While there are many design and photography enthusiasts on Instagram, a majority of the site’s usage is seeing what other people in your network are doing, wearing, or thinking. This is why Instagram posts get 30% greater engagement when they include faces. 

Second, humans rely most heavily on sight, which makes the visual appeal of promo models in a visual medium such as Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest well suited to the task. So how do you best use promotional talent in your social media strategy? 

Single Posts and Ad Campaigns

The most common and direct way to integrate promo models on social media is via a photo or video shoot that can be used for posts and ad campaigns.

 Since your brand’s social media presence falls into two main categories: advertisements and your page itself, it makes sense to include promo models in both. The next time you consider posting about a product or service or creating an advertisement, make sure it contains a relatable human element in the form of promotional talent.

The most impactful way to go about this is fortunately also the most cost-effective method. Hire your promo models for a day or two of shoots, and acquire a bunch of content that you can tailor to various campaigns, audiences, and messages. 

Then, spread out that media over the course of a long ad campaign or regular, weekly posts on your page. This both saves you money by only needing to hire technicians, camera crew, venues, and promo talent for one or two days, but also works better as a marketing strategy. Users recognize patterns and enjoy consistency, so a longer campaign featuring the same promo models will draw more attention than sporadic, unrelated banner ads.

 Influencers

 Influencers are a category of promo models that already have a large social media fanbase. These social media giants will cost you much more to hire than a traditional promo model would, but the payoff can also be much more rewarding.

Influencer marketing relies on the celebrity endorsement principle in which a recommendation or endorsement by a respected or admired individual causes people to trust and use that brand more frequently.

Sure, influencers may not be as globally famous as real celebrities, but they often enjoy closer relationships with their followers than famous athletes or actors would. This means that, if you can afford it, a post by an influencer supporting your product can lead to a massive increase in both exposure and sales. 

Brand Ambassadors

Brand ambassadors are the little sibling to influencers. Brand ambassador marketing is somewhat more of a two-way street; both the brand ambassador and the company itself benefit more, making this a much more affordable option for most companies.

Ambassador programs typically involve the supplying of products or services to the ambassador in exchange for them handing out samples, being active on social media about the company, and being vocal to their own personal networks. This is an excellent way to reach people in the non-digital world, who may otherwise never find your brand.

Promo models make great brand ambassadors as well, given their innate charm and dynamism. Most agencies that hire out traditional promo models are also good for brand ambassador hiring, as they tend to have a large database of qualified individuals and their requisite social media stats.

In Summary 

While social media savviness is an inescapable aspect of the modern marketing landscape, it doesn’t have to be boring or impersonal. In fact, adding some excitement and a charismatic human element to your social media presence is a surefire way to get more engagement. 

Promo models can fit into your brand’s social media in a multitude of ways. A single hefty photoshoot with promotional talent can go a long way, providing engaging and more relatable content for a long-term ad campaign or simply for page posts. Influencers can make a huge impact in increasing brand following, and brand ambassadorships are a cost-effective way to reach more people both on and off social media. 

We hope this gave you something new and useful to apply to your social media strategy. For more insightful and unique ways to optimize your marketing, check out the other articles on our blog.