With the recent release of the Disney + series, Moon Knight, and the highly anticipated film of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel has relied on social media marketing to get fans hyped for their upcoming movies and shows. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, being one of the biggest movie franchises in the world, has successfully and strategically utilized social media to develop the fan base they have today. 

What is social media marketing? Social media marketing “refers to the use of social media and social networks to market a company’s products or services” (Investopedia) Cinematic franchises like Marvel have looked to social media marketing to engage their existing fans and also gain new ones. Marvel films are, without a doubt, a very intense process to film and produce. During the process, fans tend to lose interest in or pay less attention to the upcoming films. In order to achieve the desired profit, Marvel makes sure to advertise and promote their films a year to eight months in advance. As seen with past and recent MCU films, a variety of promotions, ads, and experiences have been released to prepare for content. 

Some profitable examples of Marvel’s use of social media marketing include their partnership with Twitter and Pinterest. Whenever the release date of any Marvel content approaches, you can always find user-generated content on both platforms, including memes, gifs, and fan art. Twitter as a platform is driven by both enthusiastic fan bases and also ads, which is why it is not a surprise to see promotions and trailers. One of the most powerful Marvel film campaigns has been the one promoting Captain America: Civil War. Knowing the significance of Iron Man and Captain America in the MCU, Marvel used their actors as brand advocates to create a buzz for the upcoming film. #TeamIronMan and #TeamCap were viral hashtags on Twitter for some time asking fans to side with their favored character. Marvel gained much from this method of marketing and were able to sell movie tickets in massive numbers. The recent film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness acquired much attention as well. Almost all social media platforms had some sort of promotion for MoM. Advertisements including fan cosplays and trailers were seen on TikTok and Instagram and the official Marvel account on Twitter posted character posters and scenes that got fans excited and thinking of interesting theories. 

Though Marvel as a franchise is strong on its own, their approach to social media marketing has allowed them to thrive significantly and maintain their fanbase.