There are two major types of event marketing campaigns on Weibo: System campaigns and Creative campaigns.
System Campaigns are the event campaign that utilised the features provided by Weibo. Only the verified accounts are able to launch the system campaigns on Weibo.
Creative Campaigns are created and customized by the promoter based on their own requirements and rules. Creative campaigns can be initiated by verified or unverified accounts. It’s free to launch Creative Campaigns on Weibo.
Read this article to understand the 6 types of System Campaigns on Weibo:
Lucky Roulette Campaign (幸运转盘) allows users to spin a roulette wheel for a chance to win a prize immediately. A wide range of prizes is usually offered.
For example, China Mobile launched a Lucky Roulette Campaign in December 2016. Each Weibo account was allowed to spin the roulette wheel three times a day to win different packages of free data, ranging from 1 GB to 150 MB. Once a user won a prize, they could no longer participate. Then, the free data were added to the winners’ mobile account within 15 working days after the campaign ended.Flash Sales Campaign (限时抢) is similar to a Lucky Roulette Campaign. However, it’s more suited to e-commerce and O2O corporations looking to launch marketing activities. During Flash Sales Campaigns, users can win gifts or a special discount for the promoted products but only for a very limited time. For a limited time, users could spin the roulette wheel to win for the reward or prizes.
Re-post Campaign (有奖转发) requires users to repost a designated Weibo post. Sometimes users are also asked to follow the brand’s account or to mention/tag three friends on an article repost. The winners are randomly picked after the campaign period. Hollywood Universal Studios launched a Repost Campaign requiring users to follow the account and repost a designated Weibo post. One participant won an iPhone 7 (32GB) after the campaign was over.
Content Collection Campaign (有奖征集) encourages users to contribute original content related to a brand or product. This includes reviews, pictures, videos or slogans. The organizer picks the winners based on the quality of their content and they receive prizes.
For example, YunOS, a mobile operating platform developed by Alibaba, launched a Content Collection Campaign. Users were asked to take pictures of FIFA Club World Cup ads, sponsored by YunOS Auto, in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hangzhou airports. The prizes ranged from Smartphone to Youku membership, to a series of little dolls.
Pre-order Campaign (预约抢购), only users who have pre-ordered are qualified to purchase designated products. This type of campaign is most suitable for the release of high-value products, like 3C (Computers, Communications, Consumer Electronics) products.
Free Trial Campaign (免费试用) allows brands to distribute product samples to their target audiences. To get the samples, users are required to present reasons why they should be selected. This is one of the more rewarding marketing campaigns on Weibo, and it can be particularly beneficial. Product samples serve as prize incentives and brands can also collect valuable feedback on their products before they’re officially released.
Summary
Marketing campaigns should be included on the marketing calendar as a seasonal campaign to boost the traffic. The goal is to increase followers on brands’ Weibo account. A successful marketing campaign should always end up with a good return on investment since the calls to action for certain participation are to encourage people to make purchases. Last but not least, if you are a new brand to tap in the China market, we suggest you register your business as a verified Weibo account and try the system campaign since most of the brands are performing well.
