Ok I admit it. I watch the X-Factor. In fact I even watch the Extra Factor directly after, which no intelligent woman my age and in her right mind should do.
Now before you get the wrong idea about me, I love music… and marketing and branding… and if ever you want to learn a lesson or two about promotion and making a noise in a market then the X-Factor will provide you with some great tips. Never more so than the sensation that is One Direction.
Courtesy of lifestyleuncut.com
Admittedly they are good looking young chaps and… great musicians they are not. So how did they become so popular in all FOUR corners of the globe in less than twenty four months?
Planning, research, measurement and…using the correct marketing channels frequented by the target market… in this context Social Media.
The meteoric rise of One Direction was planned in Syco’s offices according to the then head of marketing Mark Hardy. I guess with a programme like the X factor, you never know who will be popular. Though with the odd exception of young male boy bands that look good tend to do pretty well.
It is all about the message to market match and getting it exactly right. This is just what happened. The promotion of a boy band through Social Media in this way was a real first and can provide us with some great pointers and ideas.
According to a recent interview, Sony monitored social media activity around the boys as early as the boot camp stage. Consequently schooling Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis (for those luddites who have no idea who I am talking about!) on exactly how to engage with fans.
It literally was planned like a military operation. Has it been worth it? I suspect so. I have no idea what the five boys are worth. Yet experiencing the scramble a significant number of my female friends got in over concert tickets for their love struck daughters, I am thinking well into seven figures.
Now marketing your recruitment business might on the surface appear a little different-though is it really. Here is something to think about. Everything was planned from before the boys lost the X-Factor! There was a three year strategic plan with measurements, milestones and KPI’s measured on a weekly and monthly basis… phew. This ranged from number of likes, Tweets and YouTube views.
When singles would be released, albums, TV appearances… yes down to that level of detail.
They also did something pretty unique. The focus was on their fans not them. The level of engagement has been phenomenal. Why? Because they give fans what they want. As a “directioner”, you can ask to see them wearing certain jackets to play certain songs and appear at certain venues.
I don’t wish to state the obvious and it has worked. Now back to the real world of growing your recruitment business and attracting your own fan base of clients and candidates. What are the key learning’s you can mirror?
Research
What is possible in your particular sector? What are the trends? How easy are clients and candidates to attract? Will the market pay your fees? Who are the competitor’s? Can you expand and dominate?
Planning
Rome wasn’t built in a day so what do you need to do by when? What activities will make the difference?
KPI’s
What are your KPI’s from a marketing and branding context? How many follower’s on Twitter; how many contacts on LinkedIn.
Engagement And Adding Value To The Client
What is the plan and what do they want. This is so easy to do with some thought planning. We share content on this blog every week that is getting read by hundreds of recruiters. They are free ideas that people can use and ultimately it makes our phone ring. I guarantee it would do the same for you.
In the words of a famous One Direction song it’s the little things (written by the amazingly talented Ed Sheeran) that add up to making a big difference! 🙂
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