Social Media Success Story

Are you on Facebook? On Twitter? Are you promoting your career or business online?

Don’t think it’s worth it?

Think again.

Anyone who questions whether marketing through social media is worth the effort should read this. It’s the story of an independently-made children’s music album which rose to NUMBER ONE on iTunes by finding its audience online.  That’s right. Number one without any high-priced publicist or expensive marketing budget. And on it’s first day.

There are a few caveats here. Social media marketing wouldn’t have worked if the album weren’t good and something that its audience wanted; it would have met dead ends if either of those things were true. It also wouldn’t have worked if the album’s creator and promoter didn’t know his audience and how to reach them. Importantly, the album was also something that people could be passionate about; 100% of album proceeds support the cure of a childhood developmental disease. Success also relied on marketing  must-haves like branding and timing.

I’m not suggesting that any theater, artist, or arts organization should rely on social media marketing alone. Never rely on one method of marketing alone. But, if you’ve got quality product and know your audience, social media might help a good marketing campaign become a great one. What’s more, marketing through social media may be best when specific offers are made that people can get excited about. General institutional marketing and event marketing should happen every day, but a social media marketing campaign might really take off when specific events or discounts are the subject. Try it for openings, rush ticket sales, auditions, or other special announcements.

If you’ve got a social media success story or advice to add, please share it in the comments. And check out that number one album—Do Fun Stuff! It’s a great album for a great cause!