Social Media Marketing Lessons from @50Cent

50 Cent

Hip hop artist 50 Cent  just sent me a direct message on Twitter

50cent let’s keep #beforeiselfdestruct a trending topic.. what keeps you from destructing? I stay on the move #beforeiselfdestruct

12:50 AM Nov 8th

He’s on a big promo for his new album, Before I Self Destruct. I am one of his over 1 million followers, so I’m betting this message didn’t just go out to me. But it’s not about celeb baiting, my observations ...

have to do with social media marketing and leveraging the enthusiasm of fans.

When you look into the marketing, you can see some great examples of spreading the word on a variety of platforms, social media being the springboard. Check out his strategy:

BUZZ:

He built buzz on social media sites around a supposed “leak” of the album, and offered the iTunes download a full week before the slated launch date.

HASH TAGS:

In addition to that, his fans used the #BeforeISelfDestuct hash tag on Twitter to start conversations around free tickets, the album, and even controversies surrounding the lyrics of some songs. People are picking sides, and that brings even more attention to his launch.

NEW TALENT REVEALED

He’s adding in a special bonus to the album: a film marking his directorial debut. He’s showing his fans (and everyone else) that he’s an artist with more than a talent for song.(I haven’t seen the film, but it’s galvanizing his fans already)

LEVERAGE

He dovetailed on the #MusicMonday hash tag, promoting his album and his hash tag on this weekly Twitter review of tunes.

VIDEO / BEHIND THE SCENES INFO

He granted an interview to a website where he got to answer questions about the album and the film, explaining his creative motives. The video interviews are very casual, not your usual film junket repeatathons. He’s wearing a bath robe…

CONNECTING OUTSIDE HIS CIRCLE

I’ve never blogged about 50 Cent… probably never would have if he hadn’t sent me the Tweet. He got my attention, and I’m sharing his strategy with you from a marketing perspective.

Watch everyone who’s using social media… not just the usual suspects but the artists, pop culture icons, activists, and celebs. You will see that a great strategy can be used in any situation.

What are your thoughts? Can you apply any of these actions to YOUR business?

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