More traditional forms of advertising are being supplemented by social media to reveal teasers, clips, webisodes, behind-the-scenes action and more. This results in a unique online experience for the user, which is almost always a good thing since it adds to their brand recall. However, one of the most compelling things brands are doing with social media is mounting anticipation for a new product. Both Dexter and Grey’s Anatomy TV shows released the first two minutes of their highly-anticipated season premiere and season finale, respectively, in order to create more anticipation. Chick-Fil-A’s unveiling of their spicy chicken sandwich in 2010 (and spicy chicken biscuit in 2011) had considerable social backing. The fast food company created a landing page where customers could reserve their sandwiches to try at a specific location and time. Countdowns were featured everywhere.

So what does a brand gain from building anticipation through social media? Well, for the most part–lots of eyes. Fans watch, hear or learn about the new product and share the compelling video or site, becoming brand advocates. In fact, the first two minutes of Dexter video, revealed this morning and picked up by Mashable, has already gotten 277k views.

This idea is not a new concept altogether–in fact, it may have had a lot to do with Steve Jobs, who revolutionized the press conference and marketing blitz around a new product–but here are two ways marketers are generating more hype online: 1) further integrate social media into traditional marketing (TV shows featuring hashtags that pop up during particular scenes/commercials or using QR codes in print ads, for instance), 2) simply feature more unique content online to help build anticipation and a more engaged, captive online audience. So take a tip from these social media marketers and create your own campaign of anticipation. Share your ideas with us in the comments.

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