How Salomon's Facebook Engagement Rate Outperformed Competitors by 7X

Purpose of This Research

To identify the content and marketing strategy that contributed to the Facebook growth of Salomon:

• ‍Assess key growth periods
• Identify factors behind successful growth
• Highlight applicable tactics and content opportunities

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Why Examine Salomon For Facebook Growth Insights?

• ‍Audience Attention Growth. Salomon's gained by 64K Facebook page likes from April 2022 to April 2023. Video views have increased by an +81% YoY, and their engagement has seen a +653% YoY increase.‍
• ‍Viral Video Content. Two of Salomon's videos have amassed a total of 26M views, indicating the brand's ability to create viral video content.‍
• ‍Engaged Audience. Salomon's Facebook audience is highly engaged, fostering an active community with a 0.5% engagement rate, which surpasses the average rate of its competitors by 7X.‍
• ‍Paid Growth Strategies. Salomon's +31% YoY increase in web traffic coincides with a +371% YoY increase in Facebook ad spending, , indicating the brand's successful use of paid ads on the platform.

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Applying Trends & Tactics

Increased Facebook Ad Spending. Salomon raised its Facebook ad spend by +371% YoY, coinciding with a +31% YoY increase in web traffic. 

• Application
  ‍Increase Facebook ad investments to drive website traffic, concentrating spending at the onset of new seasons: October for winter sports and March for spring outdoor activities.

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Link Ads. Salomon allocated 57% of their Facebook ad spend to link ad posts. 

• Application
  ‍Create captivating link posts to promote new products and drive traffic to specific pages on your website.

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Carousel Ads. Salomon uses Advantage+ Catalog ads to target specific audiences and drive e-commerce sales. 

• Application
  ‍Retarget visitors who viewed but didn't purchase items using Advantage+ Catalog ads on Facebook to drive e-comm sales.

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Compelling and Daring Content. Salomon's two viral videos, which accounted for 61% of total views, captivated audiences with their draining and thrilling nature.

• Application
  ‍Utilize this tool to extract highlights from long form video content to create short videos for Facebook, focusing on the most captivating moments.

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‍Optimize Videos. Viral videos used vertical format and 360-degree action cameras and were 30-45 seconds long.

• Application
  ‍Adopt vertical, 30-45 sec videos for mobile users. Use POV and 360-degree cameras for immersive, viral content.

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Increased Engagement. Salomon surpasses competitors in Facebook interactions, with 4X their total engagements and a 653% YoY growth.

• Application
  Adopt Salomon's Facebook strategy, featuring product-centric and community-building content through both video and photo posts, while ensuring a steady posting cadence.

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From April 2022 to March 2023, Salomon experienced a +31% YoY growth in web traffic.

*Monthly web traffic in Canada and US on all devices.

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During this period, they increased their Facebook ad spending by +371% YoY.

Total Facebook ad spend in Canada & US.

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This +371% YoY surge in Salomon's Facebook ad spend marked the most significant growth across all platforms. 

Total ad spend in Canada & US. Instagram ad spend unavailable in Canada.

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Next to Paid Search, Salomon allocated the highest amount to Facebook ads from April 2022 to March 2023.

Total ad spend in Canada & US. Instagram ad spend unavailable in Canada.

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Of Salomon's Facebook ad spend, 57% went to link posts, 24% went to carousel posts, and 16% went to photo posts.

Total Facebook ad spend in Canada & US.

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Top Link Post Ad Creatives

The top link ads featured an outdoor visual with an overlaid headline.

• The top link ads feature captivating outdoor imagery of individuals utilizing Salomon's products, accompanied by an attention-grabbing headline presented in bold, capitalized font overlaying the visual.
• The ads are all about showcasing the latest and greatest with the phrases such as "all-new," "New Arrivals," and "New Season." It creates an exclusive vibe, making you feel like you don't want to miss out on their newest collection.

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Top Carousel Ad Creatives

Salomon utilizes Advantage+ Catalog ads to drive e-comm sales. 

• To optimize your ad set, Facebook recommends filtering items by a few broad categories, such as all women's running shoes priced under $200. This ensures that your ads are relevant to your target audience and are more likely to convert.
• Utilize Meta Pixel/App Events to retarget visitors who viewed but didn't purchase items and remind them of those products using Advantage+ Catalog ads on Facebook.

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From April 2022 to March 2023, Salomon experienced a +81% YoY growth in Facebook views.

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Salomon experienced two surges in Facebook views: June 2022 at 10M and December 2022 - January 2023 at 14M.

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In June 2022, Salomon shared a viral POV video featuring Philipp Reiter scaling a mountain at great heights. 

As of April 2023, the video has garnered over 11M views.

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Salomon's Christmas 2022 video of "Santa" paragliding with a dog went viral on Facebook, generating over 14.6M views.

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Viral Video Breakdown

These two viral videos accounted for 61% of Salomon's total views*: 

• These two videos likely gained viral traction due to their compelling and daring nature. In the video, the intense POV perspective of Philipp Reiter ascending an incredibly steep mountain is hard to resist. Additionally, this video grabs attention with its bold stunt, featuring a paraglider dressed as Santa riding a dog, complete with 360-degree POV footage as they glide through the sky.
• Both viral videos effectively employed a vertical format, were captured using a 360-degree action camera, and were between 30-45 seconds in length (specifically, 35 and 44 seconds long).
• This video features the Salomon sponsored Adventure Film Director, Shams, who creates paragliding content for the brand.

June 2022

Views 11.8M

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December 2022

Views 14.6M

*Facebook video views from April 2022 to March 2023

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Salomon excels in Facebook engagement volume among competitors, yielding 4X of their total collective engagements.

*Total engagement from April 2022 - March 2023.

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Additionally, Salomon excels in engagement rate (0.5%), outperforming competitors with a 7X higher average rate. 

Indicating its ability to engage with its audience on the platform effectively.

*Engagement rate calculated as the average from April 2022-March 2023, considering total engagements per post and total page likes.

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From April 2022 to March 2023, Salomon experienced a +653% YoY growth in Facebook engagements.

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Salomon’s spikes in engagement coincide with the viral posts shared in June 2022 and December 2022. 

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Salomon maintained a relatively consistent post cadence on Facebook, averaging 21 posts per month.

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Salomon's Facebook content strategy focuses on videos (53%) and photos (46%).

*% represent the portion of the total posts shared on Facebook from April 2022-March 2023.

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Salomon's Ski POV and Park Tricks videos generated the highest levels of engagement on average.

*Viral videos were omitted from data set to avoid skewing. Based on video posts shared from April 2022 - March 2023. 

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Ski POV Videos

These videos give viewers a first-person view of the skiing experience, allowing them to see what it's like to navigate down the mountain.

• The videos are captured using an action camera, are vertically oriented, and typically last between 30 to 60 seconds.
• Salomon's concise captions mention the skier featured in the video while incorporating emojis. These emojis help grab viewers' attention, add a playful touch, and break up the text.
• The second video below employs a selfie angle, providing a perspective that lets the viewer see the skier's reaction as they carve through deep powder.

Engagements 7.4K

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Engagements 4.8K

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Engagements 2.7K

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Park Trick Videos

The videos showcase ski and snowboard athletes exhibiting their skills in terrain parks or on a halfpipe.

• Slow-mo is used in the second video to give the viewer a better view of the trick and to highlight the bottom of the athlete's snowboard, which features the Salomon logo.
• Follow-Cam: In the first video, the athlete is filmed performing tricks in the terrain park while someone follows them closely, capturing the action from behind.
• Salomon sponsored athletes are highlighted in these posts through the use of content features and tags.
• While Salomon has a separate Facebook account dedicated to snowboarding, some snowboarding videos are also shared on their main account and tagged with Salomon Snowboards.

Engagements 5.0K

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Engagements 1.0K

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On average, Salomon's photo posts showcasing Mountain Views and Endurance Running Triumphs had the highest engagement.

* Based on photo posts shared from April 2022 - March 2023. 

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Mountain Views 

Posts feature a single image of a breathtaking mountain scenery, with the photographer being credited in the caption.

• Salomon's engaging branded hashtag, #TomorrowsYours, has amassed over 20K Facebook posts. To emulate their success, create a distinctive hashtag to promote your brand, incorporate it into Facebook content, and engage with users who use it in their posts.
• Although Salomon's products are not explicitly highlighted in these posts, the inclusion of such content aligns with Salomon's brand identity, which targets outdoor enthusiasts who appreciate and value nature.

Engagements 743

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Engagements 652

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Engagements 310

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Endurance Running Triumphs

These posts celebrate Salomon's endurance running athletes' triumphs in challenging races such as the UTMB and Hardrock 100.

• Content emphasizes the achievements of Salomon athletes, recognizing their wins and sharing race details and updates with followers. Posts strive to connect with the endurance running community, evoking a sense of celebration and pride for both sponsored athletes and fellow competitors.
• These posts showcase an array of high-quality, professionally captured images taken throughout and following the race. The photos emphasize the authentic moments lived by athletes, encapsulating the commitment, perseverance, and emotions inherent to the sport.

Engagements 332

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Engagements 328

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Engagements 235

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Digital Advertising Data Source Caveat