Microsites are here to stay, and the values are a #DREAM for marketers. If you don’t know what a microsite is, it’s all in the title: it’s a smaller website, completely separate from your main portal, usually dedicated to a specific campaign or marketing call to action (CTA).

Why have a microsite? When you have a campaign on your main site, it tends to get lost in the action—after all, you have features, products, services, and other things that you want your audiences to follow through with. Having a separate, smaller site allows you to let your creative flag fly, creating a snazzier, more focused pathway to your campaign’s specific call to action. To increase the number of visitors to your website with minimal effort buy website traffic.

 

But Zoolander is right. There IS more to a microsite than just aesthetics. Here’s a few more reasons why this trend is growing as fast as the rise of social media integration:

1. It’s more likely to attract ‘untouched’ or unknown audiences.

Microsites are often tied to ‘fun’ or ‘news-breaking’ type campaigns, which act as a lure to bring in audiences outside your everyday scope.

2. It gives people a focused path to your campaign’s CTA.

Again, this is a great way to bring new audiences into your brand ecosystem without the hard sell.

3. It allows you to get creative.

No navigation or site ‘restructuring’ issues involved.

4. It creates a WHOLE LOT of brand buzz.

Especially when it comes to media attention, a well-done microsite brings the type of excitement that generates higher coverage and social media shares.

5. It brings fan content to the center of your campaign.

User-generated content and social media microsites give audiences a reason to visit, and more importantly stay.

Yet….seems like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Actually, not so much. Attaching a whole website to a single campaign used to mean the whole marketing gang had to get on board to develop and launch. But with the emergence of microsite technology services, many brands have been able to strategize, build, and go live in a matter of weeks or even days—with very little manual work required from their side.

Check out a few social media microsite campaigns that have knocked it out of the park:

 

1. Odell Beckham Jr.

The Odell Beckham Jr. interactive timeline is the coolest thing since, well, Odell Beckham Jr. Branded by the New York Giants, and dedicated to this unstoppable rookie of the year, the Giants made headlines with their powerful page called “The Catch.” And between incredible imagery, videos, and even celebrity Tweets, it’s hard to choose what they did best

 

2. Adbowl

There was a LOT going on in this year’s Super Bowl. But let’s be real: a huge part of us are there for the commercials.

Mckee Wallwork and Company felt the same way, and decided to build a real-time campaign around the advertisements we love to love. By taking a step back from the athletics, McKee Wallwork carved out a niche of media interest, while showcasing cool countdown stats, and even geotargeting the places in the U.S. that were buzzing most over the ad #hashtags. Business intelligence and a portal for fans to engage? Sign us up.

 

3. Bonnaroo’s The Fountain

We know, this page is “technically” connected to the Bonnaroo main site. But it gets its chops as a microsite by having the full social media integration and powerfully simple CTA that make it capable of being a standalone page.

The Fountain is as focused as it is captivating: it’s a page dedicated to real-time fan content showing LIVE experiences at past Bonnaroo concerts, as well as photos of fans getting amped for this year’s festivities. Tweet, Instagram, or share, the CTA is clear: it’s not just about ticket sales for this page, it’s about the fans and the fun.

 

 

They did it well, and so can you! Building a microsite is an easy, quick, and impactful way for you to find success in your branded campaigns.