Marketing lessons from pop’s biggest names

This story was originally published on PR Daily in December 2014. Small-business owners aren’t pop stars. Taylor Swift has sold far more albums than your coffee shop sells lattes. You will never have as many screaming girls outside your flower shop as the members of One Direction does outside their hotel rooms. More people attend one Beyoncé concert than will go to a year’s worth of art gallery exhibitions. Your financial consulting company will never have as many faithful Twitter followers as Katy Perry.

That’s OK. Just because you’re not a member of a charming British boy band or a gorgeous pop icon doesn’t mean you can’t market like one. Your business can adopt some strategies that go into a new album release or world tour to get a taste of chart-topping success:

1. Charm your social media fans like One Direction. Here’s some common advice: If you want your business to thrive on social media, engage with your community. Though it’s often repeated, many businesses are stumped when it comes to putting this idea into action.