(Billboard) Ask any Diplo or Major Lazer fan what comes to mind when you say "Express Yourself" and chances are they'll say something along the lines of "make it clap."
For anyone wondering what that means, let's take a look at how a social-media campaign took on a life of its own, starting way back in June with a blog post and a single.
From there, the campaign took off: Diplo's management reports that from late July through the end of August, over 31,000 Tweets included the #ExpressYourself hashtag. Four months later, in December, more than 10,000 Tweets #ExpressYourself Tweets have been sent.
What's surprising about that? The campaign ended in late June.
During the contest, Diplo got into the action and RT'd many of the entries. The Mad Decent blog served as the digital archive for all entries received during the contest period.
Mad Decent announced the winners on June 23, again on their blog,noting that Diplo "couldn't pick just one winner so instead has selected 1 grand prize winner plus 5 additional winners, all receiving the coveted Diplo/MajorLazer guestlist for life!"
But the story didn't end there.
The best thing about Diplo's #ExpressYourself campaign is the way it continued after the campaign had officially ended. What made it so successful?
It was authentic. A key to a good social media campaign is authenticity. This campaign was a key part of the song and video, and turned that into the mechanism to enter the contest. And the dance style featured in the video was already an existing dance style.
It embraced fans' passion. Music fans are PASSIONATE. If you need an example, check any of the hashtags on Twitter related to major artists for proof - #Barbz (Nicki Minaj), #KatyCats (Katy Perry) or even #MJFam (Michael Jackson). Diplo and his team embraced their fan's passion - another winning element.
It was sexy. The dance is anything but subtle!
Participation was rewarded. Everyone loves a pat on the back every now and then, even if that's in the form of a RT. By involving Diplo and the Mad Decent blog in the campaign, participants all received digital "pats on the back" via RT's and blog posts for their submissions, creating an inclusive sense of community and rewarding all, not just the contest winners.
For anyone wondering what that means, let's take a look at how a social-media campaign took on a life of its own, starting way back in June with a blog post and a single.
From there, the campaign took off: Diplo's management reports that from late July through the end of August, over 31,000 Tweets included the #ExpressYourself hashtag. Four months later, in December, more than 10,000 Tweets #ExpressYourself Tweets have been sent.
What's surprising about that? The campaign ended in late June.
During the contest, Diplo got into the action and RT'd many of the entries. The Mad Decent blog served as the digital archive for all entries received during the contest period.
Mad Decent announced the winners on June 23, again on their blog,noting that Diplo "couldn't pick just one winner so instead has selected 1 grand prize winner plus 5 additional winners, all receiving the coveted Diplo/MajorLazer guestlist for life!"
But the story didn't end there.
The best thing about Diplo's #ExpressYourself campaign is the way it continued after the campaign had officially ended. What made it so successful?
It was authentic. A key to a good social media campaign is authenticity. This campaign was a key part of the song and video, and turned that into the mechanism to enter the contest. And the dance style featured in the video was already an existing dance style.
It embraced fans' passion. Music fans are PASSIONATE. If you need an example, check any of the hashtags on Twitter related to major artists for proof - #Barbz (Nicki Minaj), #KatyCats (Katy Perry) or even #MJFam (Michael Jackson). Diplo and his team embraced their fan's passion - another winning element.
It was sexy. The dance is anything but subtle!
Participation was rewarded. Everyone loves a pat on the back every now and then, even if that's in the form of a RT. By involving Diplo and the Mad Decent blog in the campaign, participants all received digital "pats on the back" via RT's and blog posts for their submissions, creating an inclusive sense of community and rewarding all, not just the contest winners.
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