AdamVincenzini[dot]com: 194 social media case studies (and 23 tactics) from 2011

What is a social media campaign? What is a marketing campaign with an element of social media amplification? What is a series of tactics versus an actual campaign?

Yes, putting social media activity into specific boxes in difficult. And, it is why splitting up social and more traditional marketing practices can often do more harm than good.

In any event, we're all still learning and there are a bunch of examples out there to learn from.

Here are 194 social media campaigns / case studies that have been published online in 2011 that might come in handy as a reference point for you.

Five of Summer's sizzling social media campaigns (via TheNextWeb) - includes Visa, Perrier, McDonald's, Fridigaire and Ronzoni
10 fantastic social media campaign videos you shouldn't miss (via TheNextWeb) - includes Ben & Jerry's, Renault, Volkswagen and Heineken
Six new and innovative social media campaigns to learn from (via Mashable) - includes Samsung, Intel and Ford
Five top social media campaigns (via SearchEnginePeople) - includes Bing, Skittles and Red Bull
Nine successful social media campaigns / tactics from big corporations (via Inc) - includes Nike, JetBlue and Flight Centre
15 of the best social media campaigns from the travel sector (via tnooz) - includes KLM, Travelocity and Klout / Virgin
2011 Grammy Awards Social Media Campaign (via Mashable)
10 top social media marketing campaigns and what you can learn from them (via SmartCompany) - includes Ikea, Burger King, Westfield and Nando's
Five smart social PR campaigns to learn from (via Mashable) - includes KFC
20 innovative Facebook campaigns (via Simply Zesty) - includes Pringles and Domino's Pizza
AstraZeneca host first Twitter chat (via eMarketer)
10 of the best Facebook campaigns (via Jeff Bullas) - includes Kellogg's and Papa John's
10 social media case studies from big brands (via SocialMedia.org) - includes IHG, CNN and Paramount
87 handpicked social media case studies (via Michael Gaas) - includes Cisco, Walmart and Toyota

After reading through these, I also thought it was worth listing the more popular activities / tactics used, which included:

Building specific apps for Facebook fan pages to encourage return visits
Creative use of YouTube / video content to engage audiences
Location-based promotions using Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook places and the like
Blogger collaboration activities e.g. assets in exchange for presence / links
Exclusive promotions / competitions across a range of platforms (T's & C's permitting)
Empowering communities to manage / own branded properties on your behalf
Social gaming integration - include branding / experiences within established communities
Bespoke social games / tasks
Hire / locate talent using social media channels
Crowdsource ideas / concepts and then bring them to life
Real-time rewards / gifts by monitoring customer comments
Giving customers the ability to contribute to your channels e.g. real-time reporters
Mashups - take map and Twitter data to create useful information for a broader audience
Offline advertising with interactive elements e.g. QR code scanning in exchange for something
Online stunts - take the offline method to online places
Creating shopping experiences in unique places e.g. Facebook commerce tabs
Introducing branded social media products into stores e.g. 7-11 partnered with social gaming co Zynga recently
Creating rankings / league tables based on social media output by individuals
Using corporate / branded blogs in a creative manner
Trialing new social / digital platforms in place of more traditional methods e.g. SlideShare to publish research results
Establishing partnerships with online music services where content is exchanged for value being added
Using social channels to creatively raise money for charities
Forgetting about creating new communities and develop ways to add value to existing ones instead (hurrah!)