1. Gangnam Style – Psy
Photo by Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service [CC-BY-SA2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Psy became a household name in the remotest parts of the world with his kick-ass and super-catchy 'Gangnam Style'. One of the most striking things about this viral phenomenon of epic proportions was that it was unexpected in many ways. For one, Psy isn't your usual pop star - if you were to spot him on the streets, you wouldn't even remotely suspect him of being a pop musician. Not only are his looks deceptive, but also his video is a complete anti-thesis of what you would expect to see. Keep all these thoughts aside for a moment, and you realize that 'Gangnam Style' is a brilliant example of smart viral and content marketing. And there are important lessons to be learnt:
Don't hold your content or brand too dear - share and let it grow
The key factor in the success of Gangnam Style's viral campaign was the song's share-ability. As the song did not intentionally carry a copyright, once it became popular, numerous parodies sprung up and the audience continued to multiply. In today's world where information is easy to access and in many cases free, being restrictive and uptight about your content may not be the smartest move as a content marketer. Using licenses like creative commons and opening your content to interpretation and modification, can often take the content much further and allow it to be distributed more freely. Content marketing is to a large extent gathering of goodwill and brand building through great content being restrictive will only limit the content's reach.
Stand out and provoke!
Attention spans are small these days - the usual pitches and regular stuff doesn't work half as well. People are constantly on a look out for something that makes them jump out of their seats. Gangnam Style did just that - the funky, provocative tune and moves from the 'guy-next-door' were too much to turn your eyes away from and ignore. It was in your face, hilarious and completely chilled out. As a content marketer, if you wish to catch your audience's imagination, give them something unexpected.
Forge the connection with the audience
What made the song so sensational was the fact that anyone could get in its groove, and have fun. Nothing made it belong to a world region, a certain segment of people or a particular line of thought it was transcending. The way Psy achieved it was through a brilliant combination of humor, the free human spirit and very 'next-doorly' feel. It was an instant connection - the whole 'take nothing too seriously and have fun' connected easily with everyone. For a successful content strategy, you also need to do the same. Find the smaller, simpler things that will connect you to your audience, and pull those strings in the content you create. You'll find that whatever you are selling - be it an idea, product, advice or a service - it'll be much easier to do so with this intent.
Collaborate socially for innovation beyond your thoughts
Another lesson to learn from the rise and rise of Gangnam Style is that the most fun ideas may not just be there in your head yet. It's ok to involve a larger community to help develop these ideas. The 'invisible-horse-dance' in case of Psy's song was a product of crowdsourcing from the Korean dance community. In your case, the idea contributors could be your customers, your readers or simply your extended professional network. Not everything that'll come out will be gold, but then that's the case with all other ways of ideating too. Polls on social platforms, community discussions and feedback are all good ways to find out pre-emptively as to what may work and what may not. Content sharing should not be a monologue, but a dialogue that takes the thought further.
Your audience can be much bigger than you believe
The online world gives you access to a global audience, and in many unexpected cases, several online ventures found out that their offering had a larger or a different audience. Adaptability is crucial when it comes to online ventures and marketing - if you are too rigid, you can run the risk of missing out on audiences and opportunities that existed beyond your imagination. For Gangnam Style, the audience turned out to be much bigger outside Korea despite the fact that the primary language of the song was not English. The nature of content for marketing should have a global appeal - it should open doors, not close some!
2. Kardashians
Photo by Eva Rinaldi from Sydney Australia (Kim Kardashian Uploaded by russavia) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you just can’t ignore them. If the massive popularity of Keeping Up With the Kardashians wasn’t enough, the feisty family also has an enviable presence on social media. And they’re grateful for the role that new media has played in keeping them firmly in the spotlight, a fact they admitted to at NBCU’s Power of the Purse event. To get a perspective, consider that Kim Kardashian has over 18 million followers, while her sister Khloe and mum Kris have around 8 million and 3 million followers respectively.
It certainly helped that social media became a huge deal about the time the Kardashians launched their show. And the family jumped on the new media bandwagon with gusto. Back in 2011, Forbes called Khloe Kardashian the queen of social networking for her relentless twitter activity aimed at staying in constant touch with her fans.
The family has learnt that having an active presence is just as important as saying the right things on social media. Regardless of the reasons and the shock value for which the Kardashians have stayed in the public eye, they aren’t using social media to send out meaningless posts. Kim says that many of her posts solicit opinions and suggestions from followers on product creation and marketing. Her fans helped her zero in on the perfume bottle for one of her first line of fragrances. The Kardashians also have self-branded clothing and make-up lines.
That’s not all – thanks to their celebrity power, the family’s opinions on products and issues in general are almost always embraced and disseminated across the media. Kim has already lent her voice to the anti-bullying cause, along with fellow celeb Demi Lovato, who is also a powerful influencer on social media with 17+ million Twitter followers. Kris says she would like Kendall and Kylie to rally against bullying on social media as well. That the Kardashians stay on the pulse of social issues and actively express their views, can boost their star power and make them seem more human and aware as opposed to opportunistic and artificial, as their detractors believe them to be.
3. Miley Cyrus
Photo by C. Todd Lopez; Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Well there is no doubt about the fact that Miley Cyrus is as far from her erstwhile Disney image as she can possibly be. While other Disney start like Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez are still finding it hard to break away from their good girl image, Miley Cyrus was able to do that quickly and with a bang. Anybody who is able to use the Internet has heard of or seen the buzz around Miley Cyrus’ new haircut – where she chops of her brown locks in favor of an edgy short blond look. Apart from that, her overly sexual appearances in music videos of other artists and in the videos of her own songs have created controversy.
However, one thing cannot be denied – everybody is talking about her. Her PR campaign was crafted perfectly and it paid off. So what can marketers learn from Miley’s latest and very successful PR campaign?
Don't be afraid to change
If your SEO and online marketing efforts are not getting the kind of results you expected, then change them. Also if you have been using the same online marketing methods, with the same mediocre results, it is time for a drastic change. when Miley wanted to change her Disney princess image and move onto a more edgier and adult image like Rihanna or Lady Gaga, she didn’t just start wearing sexier clothes she changed her entire style with a brand new haircut.
Shock value always works
Love it or hate it, there is no denying that Miley's new hair cut has generated a lot of buzz because it was so shocking. The moment she debuted her look, social media networks were filled with news and opinions about her and her new haircut become the stuff of headlines for online publications. Even her latest music video for her single "We Can't Stop" shocked viewers and generated a lot of opinions and controversy, but it was also one of the most viewed videos on YouTube and broke all kinds of popularity records. However, brands must be a bit more careful about unveiling a new shocking image. They should take care that the new image is still relevant and hints at what the companies are looking for in the future.
Social media is the best channel to unveil changes
Social media has become the first platform for groundbreaking news and with millions of users glued to Facebook and Twitter for long periods of time, social media channels are the best ways to unveil new changes. Instead of calling a press conference or unveiling her new look in a photoshoot, Miley did so on Twitter with selfies. If you want to generate a buzz online without too much money or effort, announce news on social media channels.
Involve your followers
Miley didn’t just upload a picture of her brand new look, she announced its imminent arrival and gave fans live updates as her look progressed. She made sure to involve her fans in her life changing new image. This was not only a great way to connect with fans but to also keep the buzz going for a while. In fact, her step by step approach is the reason why her images and tweets went viral. Brands should give their followers a behind the scenes look when unveiling new changes and should make sure they keep customers engaged and involved.