5 Social Media Lessons From Justin Bieber

You may or may not know who Justin Bieber is, but I can assure you, many, many people do. At 17, he is one of the most popular singers in the world. His rise to fame is among the most explosive ever, and while no one can promise you the same results, there are some social media lessons anyone can learn from him.

1. Start Small

Justin Bieber began by putting up some homemade videos on YouTube at the age of 12. All he wanted to do, according to his own bio on Facebook, was to share some of the competition clips with friends and family who weren’t able to attend the competitions. So he filmed them, posted them to YouTube, and he thought he was done. But he did this consistently, posting dozens of them to the site.

*Whichever platforms you use, use them consistently, even if you are not as “big” as the big guys.

2. Do What You Love

By doing what he loved and was passionate about (as much as a 12-year-old can be), he created an enthusiastic following. His love of what he was doing came through in the music. Not only did his friends and family enjoy it, but others did to.

*If you love Facebook, use Facebook; if it’s Twitter, use Twitter, but focus on what you love to focus on – your niche. Do it well – and do it with passion.

3. Word of Mouth Referrals are Key

His family and friends were so pleased with the videos, they shared them – again and again. Others followed suit. In no time, Justin had 10,000,000 hits on his videos. Because what he was doing was perceived by others to be “share-able,” it was shared. Word of mouth, referrals, and relationship marketing are fueled by quality and the perception of it.

*Be worthy of a share – give quality information, tips or tools. Ask for referrals if given the opportunity, but be shareable first.

4. Mimic What Resonates

Most of Justin’s songs at that point were cover songs – songs of other artists whom he was interpreting and redoing his own way. He freely talked about the quality of others, as he perceived it, by mimicking their work. In other words, he became a referral agent for others, too. That led to him meeting one of his favorite artists – Usher – which led to his first contract.

*Remember that social media is a two-way street. Look to see what the “big guys” are doing – especially for those you agree with or are using strategies that resonate with you. Talk about them, and share what you’re learning from them.

5. Be Consistent

Justin Bieber posted dozens of homemade videos regularly and consistently when he first started. Now, he posts several times each day to Facebook and Twitter, as well as other sites. By consistently engaging with his fan base, on the level in which they want information, he has amassed 38 million fans on his Facebook page and 15 million followers on Twitter. Every day, those fans and followers hear from him, just like they would any friend with whom they have a relationship.

*You may not want to have millions of people with whom you engage every day, and then again, maybe you do. Either way, the key is consistency in any relationship. Social media marketing is relationship marketing, and to be in any kind of relationship, you have to be “there” for the other person – every day.

Building a social media presence or campaign takes time. But if you follow some simple practices, you’ll find you can create a thriving online presence for your business, too.