Learn Social Media Marketing On A Horse

A career as a social media artist is destined for failure without new media marketing. Huge corporations and small businesses alike are using social media to market their products and gain notoriety, so why shouldn’t you? As an independent artist, it’s vital that you use social media to spread the word and build interest about your efforts.

The world of new media marketing is a fast paced one. It’s constantly evolving into something larger and more complex. So how can you know that your marketing strategy is optimal? The best way to determine this is to look at campaigns that have used social media marketing successfully. Most notable of all is Old Spice and their  first “viral” campaign.

In 2010 Old Spice launched their response campaign, which encouraged fans to ask questions via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Old Spice then answered the questions in the form of YouTube videos featuring their mascot, the Old Spice man.  In one day the YouTube videos gathered over six million views, and the Old Spice Twitter increased followers by 2,600 percent. In two days the ad made the Old Spice YouTube channel the most viewed channel of all time.

The campaign was a run away success that to this day has never been replicated in terms of Web traffic and hits. How did Old Spice manage to create arguably one of the most effective new media marketing campaigns ever?

It comes down to a combination of marketing to your specific audiences tastes and Web interaction. Both are extremely effective marketing strategies that you can apply to your own social media promotional campaigns.

Tailor it to your audience and what they like

Previous to the Old Spice social media campaign, the company built a following based on their commercials staring the Old Spice man. Audiences responded well and many of the commercials went viral on YouTube. As an artist, you have to take what your audience loves about your work and integrate it into your online marketing.

Lets say you are a YouTube music artist like Tori Kelly, you can drive interactions while producing content. Ask fans to send you song ideas on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, and any other social media site. Your fans will jump at an opportunity to directly influence your work, which will then build buzz for your brand around the Internet.

Interact with your fans directly on every platform

Old Spice directed their fans to ask questions on multiple social media platforms. The more hype you can build about your work the better. This means you have to open up participation from your fans on more than just YouTube and Facebook. When people are talking about you on Reddit or Digg, it means more opportunities to drive  traffic.

Direct interaction is paramount. When your fans know that you are more than a faceless new media celebrity, they will feel more inclined to promote your work. Answer emails, re-tweet comments, and connect to your audience at every opportunity.