introducingtenzin

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Curation and targeted ads

To provide audiences, new and old, a consistent experience with the Instagram channel, some videos created during the early steps of the campaign have been retracted from view.

Extensive research was done of audience metrics and data of competing artists, BTS and Harry Styles on Facebook and Instagram Ad insight managers. These had data on where the fans were based, how old they were, and what other interests they had. Using this knowledge, I created ads of my own with targeted audiences.

[introducingtenzin]

3. Learning from algorithms and live audience feedback #testingandevaluation

A constant process of testing and evaluation took place throughout this campaign, informing the production and direction of all its elements. As this project requires new, small pieces of content to be regularly shared on Tenzin's social media channels, the live responses from actual audiences have been carefully monitored and evaluated, the new knowledge gained then used to inform ideas that are implemented in the successive content. On top of navigating audience reactions, the campaign also had to consider platform dynamics, algorithms and creative challenges that helped or hindered the success of this outreach plan.

Short videos

The first series of videos, three "remixes" of popular songs by similar artists, where Tenzin recreated the hook of the songs with household items. These were produced and shared on all the social media channels that Tenzin had: Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok and Instagram. They were then monitored for responses in terms of views, likes and comments on each platform for the following 3 days.

It was clear by the third evaluation that the videos did better on Instagram compared to other platforms. This is likely because Instagram is the most popular social network among Tenzin’s core demographic (Khoros, 2021), and he also already had a considerable fanbase there which helped elevate the videos’ popularity. Additionally, Instagram’s “Reel” feature that actively puts videos in front of new users, helped promote the video, compared to more closed audience spaces on other social platforms that mostly only showed content to people who were only following you. While there was some positive reaction by audiences, it was soon clear that the time and effort required for the videos was too much to receive the response that it did. Each video took at least 6 hours of research, production and editing, incredibly resourcing intensive. The style of the videos, remixing, was also very generic, meaning that anyone else could produce the same type of content, failing to establish the unique proposition that Tenzin can offer compared to other content creators.

It was concluded, therefore, that the campaign should focus on growing Tenzin’s fanbase on Instagram alone, rather than juggling the four different platforms. This decision was influenced not only by the success that Tenzin found on this platform above others but also because of its features that allow more dynamic ways to engage and grow engagement through targeted content and ads, “Reels”, “Explore” functions, etc. Further reading and research also informed that it is more strategic to build brands online by focusing on single platforms rather than several ones all at once to really tailor the content and master the ins and outs of the one platform (Sprout Social, 2021).

To create videos that were more unique to Tenzin, it was decided that the second series of videos would showcase his songwriting capabilities instead of his music producing ones. Popular internet subcultures of veganism, cat memes and house plants were parodied with original song and lyrics. While there received a similar response to the first series, they were far less resource-intensive, taking a lot less time to make, and were more effective in promoting Tenzin’s originality.

A third series where covers of song presented in cinematically captivating fashions were experimented with, encompassing two videos as these too were resource-intensive and not effective at promoting Tenzin as his own artist.

It during this point, I understood from some insight I gathered from experience and information presented by other users, that Instagram favours videos filmed within the Reels feature, helping them get a leg up in its complex algorithm, compared to videos made independently and then uploaded. This meant that to maximise outreach, videos must be filmed and edited within the app. However, due to technical restraints, it was almost impossible to create videos like the ones that had been previously executed. A new format and style needed to be crafted.

Series four of the videos featured Tenzin performing his original songs straight into the app. This allowed the videos to be directly recorded within the Reels feature and get a leg up with the extra algorithm points. There was still the 15-30second time limit though so we had to be very selective with what song and what part of it would be performed and in what context. All three videos started with an introduction to set the scene and bring context to the viewer, followed by the performance of catchy or relevant verse that would resonate with the Instagram audience. These were relatively effective, and even more streamlined than the other three strategies since it was not only quicker and easier to produce but also helped promote Tenzin’s own music and also reached a wider audience having mastered the technical secrets of the platform.

The constant testing and evaluation, therefore, concluded that the videos would be shared on Instagram, more particularly, directly in its Reels feature, and would feature an original composition by Tenzin.

Stories

Although the campaign had initially planned for a lot more and frequent short videos to be published, it slowly became apparent that this would be more challenging than originally thought. The shortfall of this type of content however was made up by regularly posting Stories(images and clips that appear on the profile and feed for 24hours only) - content that shows insight and behind the scenes access to Tenzin and his everyday life. By allowing his fans this kind of access, they were invited into an even more informal and intimate connection with the artist, helping form more personable relationships. Initially, this started as an experiment, sharing two posts a week, but due to a positive response (regular viewership and comments), this was increased to 5 posts a week.

Khoros | Digital care, communities, & social media software. 2021. The 2021 Social Media Demographics Guide. [online] Available at: <https://khoros.com/resources/social-media-demographics-guide> [Accessed 9 May 2021].

Sprout Social. 2021. Building your social media marketing strategy for 2021. [online] Available at: <https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-marketing-strategy/#engaging-content> [Accessed 9 May 2021].

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2. Inspiration from competition #competitoranalysis

This campaign is influenced by campaigns and strategies employed by various "competitors" who have successfully expanded their interests and outreach online.

The key strategy of creating viral content to market one's music is inspired by Jacob Collier and Lil NasX. They have both successfully established a professional career and a large fanbase through a 'grassroots' approach of advertising their music and brand through short homemade clips that are popular with audiences online (Feldman, 2021) (Pearce, et al., 2021), as opposed to a more 'traditional' approach which relies on studio quality media advertising supported and sponsored by labels with large financial resources (artists like BTS and Harry Styles are two prime examples who have found success through this technique). There are two main rationales behind choosing a grassroots approach. Firstly, Tenzin does not have the backing of a label or large financial resources to produce and commission professional quality advertising, and therefore must resort to more accessible means. Secondly, this grassroots approach helps initiate the 'genuine' and 'personal' relationship that Tenzin seeks to establish with his fans, the medium of homemade videos helping create an intimate and authentic relationship with his fans. Although having a similar campaign strategy to NasX and Collier, Tenzin's end product that is being sold, which is his music, is unique to him which allows his campaign to stands out from the two competitors'.

Going viral or creating engaging content that can penetrate through the noise on social media, however, can be incredibly difficult (Bigne, et al., 2021). This is why the campaign also takes inspiration from popular influencers or content creators who make videos that go viral frequently. Zach King and Noah Requel are two prime competitors/inspirations who have been selected among the millions of creators who Tenzin needs to compete with to attract and retain attention from online audiences.

After studying hundreds of these creators and viral videos, I have observed that they all employ these key features, knowingly or unknowingly, to create compelling content:

1. Attractive

The first few seconds of a viral video always has an attractive introduction. Whether it is dramatic or unusual scenes, title cards with unique phrases or a person simply announcing that they are going to do something peculiar, the viewer is placed right in the action, drawing their attention and keeping them in suspense.

2. Engaging

The video uses several technical elements of audiovisual storytelling, often unique to this medium, that keep the viewer engaged with the content on the screen. Fast cuts, music, narration, closed captions, video effects and emojis are often used to create dynamic experiences for the viewers and keep them from turning away.

3. Entertaining

Although only 15 seconds in length, the videos are always telling stories in creative ways that capture the imagination of the viewer. Elements such as drama, comedy, conflict, suspense and novelty drive the narrative of these videos - some videos even encompass all five of these elements! Whether it's an accidental viral video or a well-composed government public service announcement, these videos are always entertaining for the viewers to watch.

4. Inspiring

There are always takeaways from these videos, whether they are direct or indirect. These takeaways are further influenced by the creator and the audience. Some creators may simply wish their videos to entertain or inform, but most often make content that the viewers will respond to with tangible reactions like likes, comments, shares and follows. While having an engaging enough video may help gain these reactions, it is common for videos to direct prompt viewers (“like/share for more!”). By inspiring these responses from viewers, the creators not only receive tangible feedback to inform their the success or failures of their videos, but they also help the video gain traction among the algorithms and appear in front of more viewers, expanding its outreach.

In addition to these features, traits like good branding, consistency and authenticity help videos perform well (TikTok Creator Portal, 2021). It is vital, therefore, that the campaign videos employ these methods to ensure that they outcompete competitors and win over online audiences.

It is important, however, that audiences are made clear that Tenzin is not simply a content creator, but also an artist who creates and promotes his own music - the music being the end product that is being sold. Therefore, the music videos, social media posts and website help maintain a branding that is consistent with an artist of a similar calibre. Inspiration is taken, therefore, from successful artists with similar musical styles like Beaux, Arlo Parks and Claud who inform the branding of Tenzin. DIY imagery, baggy clothing, handwritten fonts, informal addressing tones are some features that have been inspired by these competitors and influenced the branding of this campaign.

By combining strategies used by both music artists and content creators, this campaign stands out by reaching out to and growing fanbases in a manner that is uniquely native to the young online culture.

Bigne, E., Simonetti, A., Ruiz, C., & Kakaria, S. (2021). How online advertising competes with user-generated content in TripAdvisor. A neuroscientific approach. Journal of Business Research, 123, 279–288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.10.010

Feldman, B., 2021. Before ‘Old Town Road,’ Lil Nas X Ran a Now-Banned Meme Account. [online] Intelligencer. Available at: <https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/lil-nas-x-was-a-popular-twitter-user-before-old-town-road.html> [Accessed 1 May 2021].

Pearce, D., Pearce, D., Gay, R., Pearce, D. and Mason, N., 2021. Jacob Collier on managing the complexity of virtual collaborations. [online] Blog.dropbox.com. Available at: <https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/our-community/jacob-collier-remote-collaboration> [Accessed 1 March 2021].

TikTok Creator Portal. 2021. 6 key secrets to success | TikTok Creator Portal. [online] Available at: <https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/foundations-for-success/6-key-secrets-to-success/> [Accessed 9 May 2021].

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1. The Tik Tok effect #literaturereview

A recent development on social media and internet culture has been the rise of "Tik Tok" style videos. These short videos, popularised by the Tik Tok app, are usually around 15 seconds and filmed in the first person "selfie" mode. They have been documented to elevate the viewer's 'immersion, social presence, (and) entertainment'. (Wang, 2020)

To viewers, the first-person perspective helps establish a sense of intimacy, informality and interaction, while the medium of video, which employs sound and moving pictures, allows for an easy and engaging way to follow a story. Paired with the short duration of the clips, they become digestible pieces of content that can be easily approached and consumed.

The effect of these Tik Tok-style videos is heightened when employed on social media sites with traditionally dormant pieces of content like images and text. Not only do these videos become more eye-catching, but also become effective tools in building 'social presence' (Wang, 2020) that helps to build interpersonal bonds between the viewer and the person on camera - though this effect might only be unilateral (meaning the viewer builds a closer bond with the subject, not the other way). However, there is still a connection that is made that can be capitalised upon and since the success of users on social media depends on their ability to build social connections, these videos can be an effective tool in reaching these aims.

Additionally, the 'DIY' or 'homemade' aesthetic of the genre allows brands to easily produce meaningful content regularly and with few resources. With several brands and accounts competing for users' attentions on social media, every impression can be crucial; with high-quality engagement like these, brands can ensure that they don't get lost in the noise and still connect with their audiences. (Olenski, 2021)

For a musician like Tenzin who's just starting out, content like this can be a very efficient yet effective way of marketing his brand. These Tik Tok style videos not only help build content for his online presence for fans to enjoy but also act as marketing material that promotes him as an artist. Every video shared acts as a glimpse into his private and musical life, acting as social interactions between him and the viewer. Through the mass distribution scale of the internet, these one-to-one interactions can be multiplied and used to influence social presence among limitless viewers. By displaying his musical talents in these videos, they also act as trailers or promotional material for the end product that he is selling which is his music. While the informal approach might not be suited for every brand, for Tenzin who wants to establish a personal and intimate relationship with his followers, this is a highly effective method of generating the desired outcome.

In order to branch out and attract new followers, further strategies like remixing is employed. Remixing is a popular trend used to foster strong community interactions online. (Michielse and Partti, 2015). While it is a common technique used in Tik Tok videos, this method of recreating popular music, films and other media by creators with their own takes and additions has long been a staple of wider and traditional online culture. As Tenzin remixes popular music, he is able to participate in the online community and gain traction from these sources. By remixing music from artists that he is similar to, he's also able to tap into existing communities and fanbases of these artists and attract them to his own channels. Finally, these remixes allow him to showcase his musical talents and therefore help further the promotion of his own original music.

Michielse, M. and Partti, H., 2015. Producing a meaningful difference: The significance of small creative acts in composing within online participatory remix practices. International journal of community music, 8(1), pp.27-40. Vancouver

Olenski, S., 2021. Why Content Will Always Be King. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2017/06/21/why-content-will-always-always-king/?sh=6089f151eb37> [Accessed 4 Jan 2021].

Wang, Y., 2020. Humor and camera view on mobile short-form video apps influence user experience and technology-adoption intent, an example of TikTok (DouYin). Computers in Human Behavior, 110, p.106373.