Content could take up an entire section of this site, if not take over the entire site, because content is usually at the epicenter of a promotional campaign and is responsible for general brand awareness. However, I’ll touch on a few trends that I have seen recently that have contributed to an artist’s success.
Dance Challenges
The original TikTok dance challenge videos for Beyoncé’s “Cuff It,” which were posted by creators @maycsteele and @ogpartyhardy26, have amassed millions of views, hundreds of thousands of likes, and thousands of comments. This led to an incredible amount of organic promotion for not only the song, but also the tour, which had begun a few months prior. These videos encouraged other fans to post their own versions; encouraged fans to create tutorials that were posted on other platforms, like YouTube; and provided Beyoncé with content to post on her personal socials (i.e., Instagram). A campaign like this that has a vast reach and spans across not only TikTok, but across other popular video platforms, is what many artists dream of producing. That being said, don’t feel intimidated about starting your own dance challenge!
Another example of a viral TikTok dance challenge that followed on the heals of “Cuff It” is the “Back On 74” dance challenge, which was shared by Jungle – an electronic British band. This challenge differed slightly because Jungle hired a popular choreographer, Shay Latukolan, to create the choreography and shared it via their channels, asking fans to post their own versions of the dance. The associated hashtag #Backon74 has amassed hundreds of millions of views on TikTok and includes The Rockettes as a participant.
Let’s dive into the specifics! First, if you are an emerging artist, create choreography that is simple to learn. You want to avoid the barrier to entry for fans who might not be as skilled as the Rockettes! Second, make sure you include a dance challenge hashtag, for example, #CuffItChallenge or #Backon74dance. That way, you can easily search it and repost your favorite videos (AKA User Generated Content) to your personal socials. Third, as mentioned, make sure you share your favorite videos to your social channels. This will further promote the challenge and further promote your release. Finally, don’t be discouraged! If you only have a few fans post their version of the dance, recruit your friends and family to contribute to the cause. Sometimes fans don’t want to be the first ones to post; therefore, if you start the trend with orchestrated participants, there is a better chance others will jump on board!
Lastly, if you are really struggling to build up a audience who is interacting with your dance challenges, there is the paid route. Songfluencer is a company that connects artists with influencers who are paid to post content based on a provided prompt. I have worked with them in the past; however, this post is not paid advertising and is solely based on personal recommendations.
Duets
Duets on TikTok are a great way to add a personal touch to your channels. I love seeing artist duets because their personality and humor shines through. Below are a few examples, but the possibilities are endless! Be creative, and when in doubt, don’t be afraid to try something to see how it resinates with your fanbase.
Teddy Swims “I Lose Control” duets: Fans duet Teddy Swims’ incredibly catchy ear worm of a song, “I Lose Control.” Initially, Teddy Swims posted a video of him eating a burrito, which is the video fans are using to post their duets. This challenge not only allows him to share user generated content (UGC), but encourages fans to post their duets on their social channels. He is also posting his favorite duets on his Instagram, as a carousel, which allows for him to expand his viewership and reach. Here is a video of a fan who posted a duet. Here is a duet Teddy Swims posted of a fan’s duet.
Shaun White: Shaun White is notorious for posting videos on TikTok of him eating while he watches people attempting extreme sports. This started when he was told that he should start posting more content on TikTok, and being unsure as to what to post, he decided to post himself eating cereal. This is a great duet of him eating with a class full of students who requested they all eat together.
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