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BTS, also known as Bangtan Sonyeondan, are the most influential K-pop act worldwide. Even non-fans can admit that the legacy of BTS has left a long-lasting mark on pop culture. 

 

Over the past few years, BTS have taken the world by storm, releasing one critically acclaimed album after another. Besides love and relationships, their pop songs usually revolve around serious themes, such as existentialism, mental health, and social issues.

 

But apart from delivering chart-topping hits, BTS reached stardom thanks to effective social media marketing. They were able to send their message across the world by using social media as a marketing tool. BTS even earned countless milestones in the Guinness World Records, including the world record for most social media engagement on Twitter.

 

The Kings of K-pop have cemented themselves as one of the most influential people on the internet. Perhaps digital marketing experts can learn a thing or two from BTS and follow some successful social media marketing practices to gain more online exposure.

 

Here are the seven digital marketing strategies that we can all learn from BTS.


7 Marketing Strategies to Learn From BTS

 

7 Marketing Strategies That We Can Learn From BTS

IMAGE SOURCE: WallpaperAcesss

 

1. Effective Social Media Marketing

Since the very beginning, BTS have built a massive fanbase by constantly uploading content on social media. Before releasing their first album, BTS frequently posted videos showcasing their slick dance moves and covers of popular songs.

 

BTS have successfully gained thousands of followers, thanks to effective social media marketing, not just on Facebook but also on other platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

@bts_official_bighit #ColdplayXBTS #MyUniverse ♬ My Universe – Coldplay x BTS

 

Brands can take note of how BTS distribute their content on social media. The social media landscape is competitive, yet BTS succeeded in their marketing campaign by regularly uploading content in various forms, such as blog posts, videos, and even selfies. By uploading tons of content regularly on social media, BTS strengthened their online presence and maintained high web visibility, even before their career had risen in popularity.

 

Even simple updates regarding your products are highly effective in getting your followers interested or motivated, so always keep them posted as much as possible.

 

2. Connecting With Your Audience

The K-pop fanbase is one of the biggest and most loyal fanbases you will ever encounter. It is understandable since most K-pop fans feel connected with their celebrity idols. 

 

Connecting-With-Your-Audience

 

The same logic applies to BTS and their fans. The BTS fanbase consists of followers (also known as the Army) who are always on the lookout for the latest news and updates regarding their favourite band. BTS often stay in touch with their social media followers, which is no surprise that fans are looking forward to their next music album release, fan meeting, or performance.

 

For example, BTS are known for their genuine stance against prejudice and violence. In 2020, BTS and Big Hit Entertainment donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement, motivating their fanbase to do the same. As a result, the Army donated around $1 million as well to support Black Lives Matter.

 

The entire experience is an example of the strong relationship between BTS and their fans, and perhaps you can do the same by understanding your target audience. 

 

Like BTS, you have to understand what captures your audience’s attention. There is no need to donate a million dollars like BTS, but you can focus on marketing by creating a strong sense of community for your social media followers.

 

For instance, try connecting with your audience through empathetic content marketing, a form of marketing that puts you (the business) in the customer’s shoes. Create content that will appeal to your customer’s emotions so they can relate to you as well. Be on the same level as your customers and understand them to create a stronger, healthier relationship.

 

3. Coherent Storytelling

As mentioned earlier, the members of BTS know how to connect with their audience by regularly uploading content on social media. Part of their journey to success is telling a behind-the-scenes story of their career from the very beginning.

 

Most people love a good story, which is why many BTS fans feel connected with their favourite artist. The South Korean boy band has told countless stories about each member’s career, showcasing different perspectives. Rehearsals, music videos, live performances, interviews are just some of the highlights of their experience as a band. All of these have shown positive and negative sides to their story, and BTS are brave enough to reveal everything. 

 

Coherent Storytelling

 

Try the same coherent storytelling technique by showing a different side of your business. You can make your customers feel like they are a part of your community. Try uploading short videos or images showcasing your business and its members to appear more relatable and down to earth.

 

This kind of transparency helps improve your relationship with your customers. Over time, they will become rest assured that they could put their trust in your business, from your products to services. You can also expect them to spread good words about you, which will help you attract new customers, and that is how transparency helps drive your business to success.

 

In our case, we made a short video to let our potential customers take a sneak peek at the day to day tasks of a digital marketing expert. Showing this gives an answer and has debunked what most people think they do.

 

4. The Versatility Of BTS

It is no surprise that BTS’s cheerfulness, catchy music, and impressive lyrics have captured not only the attention of fans but also a few other musicians. Machine Gun Kelly, for example, has expressed interest in having BTS perform at his wedding to Megan Fox during his guest appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

 

All of the attention that BTS is getting is due to their versatility. Each member of their group has a variety of talents and strong suits that fans love, such as singing, rapping, and dancing. 

 

The Versatility Of BTS

 

The versatility of BTS does not end there since they can also make a wide range of songs. Apart from the ones mentioned above, BTS can also do hip-hop and R&B.  The variety of the music style they can play can cater to and relate to people with different music preferences and people of various ages.

 

This kind of tactic is what brands should do. Brands like you can show versatility by segmenting the market and understanding the wants of each group. Then you should meet the needs of each group through strategic product development. If done right, you can target the segmented group of audience correctly, like what BTS did with their songs.

 

ALSO READ: Guide To Customer Segmentation For Better Digital Marketing

 

In your case, the versatility you can apply to your brand is language and currency. Allowing your customers to change the language and currency used on your e-commerce website will help a lot in their customer purchase journey. They no longer need to convert and translate how much they will be spending since your e-commerce website does that for them. 

 

5. Pre-Release Teasers

Another BTS marketing strategy, or rather one of the K-pop marketing strategies you need to learn and apply to your brand, is the pre-release teasers. After BTS announced their brief hiatus last December 2021, many fans are eagerly waiting for BTS’s comeback this 2022.  

 

There is even a rumour that is going on that BTS will make a comeback music album this April and a Japanese single in June 2022. Although this news is not official, this pre-release teaser made the Army prepare for their upcoming return for the comeback of BTS. That is how vital pre-release teasers are as a digital marketing strategy since they can make the audience want to learn more about the things they are interested in. 

 

Reactions Of Fans When They Heard About The BTS Pre-Release Teasers

 

You can also do the same for your brand by implementing pre-release teasers about your upcoming newest product or service through a GIF or story. Once you have triggered your customers’ curiosity, the more you tease them, the more they cannot wait for you to release it and get one for themselves. 

 

For example, this “map” keeps the Army intrigued, wondering what BTS’s new album is. If you look at the picture, you will understand why with all the dates and agendas listed before the final release of the final album. 

 

BTS Map Of The Soul 7 2020

 

6. On Season At All Times

Whether brick-and-mortar stores or e-commerce shops, most business owners struggle to stay relevant between seasonal sales or while developing new products. 

 

HYBE Corporation knows that, which is why they make sure BTS is always on seasons. They made that possible by trying sorts of BTS marketing gimmicks to keep the fans engaged before releasing the BTS’s new album. 

 

The images below are some of the BTS marketing gimmick, catered for different parts of the year at different customer segments. HYBE Corporation prepared different merchandise release to keep the fans engaged throughout the year. 

 

BTS On Season At All Times

Various BTS merch that HYBE Corporation to increase BTS exposure and keep fan engagement.

 

For you to become on seasons at all times like BTS, your digital marketing strategy starts by looking at different festive seasons. Providing various things for several occasions (e.g., for BTS, summer package, winter package, Chuseok Greetings) can make your customers anticipate more. 

 

To successfully implement this digital marketing strategy, you should have a social calendar where all important events are. You can plan ahead of time to release a product or mini social event with this. 

 

7. Importance of Packaging

Many musicians struggle with physical record sales, but South Korean artists like BTS in particular have an advantage in this area. The main argument remains the importance of physical CDs—why invest in albums when the tunes are freely available on streaming websites?

 

While this appears to be a reasonable argument, physical albums serve a purpose other than listening to music. They provide a one of a kind experience to the listeners, especially to fans. 

 

When BTS released their hit single ‘Butter’, many people were eager to buy an album of the track for themselves. It is not surprising since the BTS production team had announced they added a lot of items within the album, like photo cards, stickers, posters, lyric cards, stickers, and many more. 

 

Doing the same thing for your brand can also make the buyers feel good about unpacking the item they have brought from your e-commerce shop. If your products have beautiful packaging, you can expect your customers to share an unboxing video and upload it online, which contributes to user-generated content (UGC). 

 

BTS Butter Unboxing

 

The additional features and rewards make buying physical records worthwhile. Some fans even record a video of themselves unboxing the BTS butter album and uploading them on their social media, which now become UGC. 

 

LEARN MORE: User-Generated Content: The Key To Successful SEO

 

As a business owner, user-generated content is like a goldmine since customers themselves are the ones promoting the product without you asking them. Their followers and viewers will be aware of your products or services and might consider checking you out, which may help increase your traffic, gain leads, and conversions.  

 

Listed below are the different ways to create user-generated content:

 

  • Host an event
  • Partner with an influencer
  • Use customer hashtags
  • Create a customer survey

Conclusion

Your brand does not have to be as popular as BTS. Just follow similar digital marketing strategies to raise brand awareness and attract new customers. Continue to deliver consistent quality content on social media, and you can gain a loyal customer base, same as BTS.

 

For more digital marketing tips, contact our SEO agency in Singapore at 6391-0930.

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