#more race wins if this trend continues pls

[ln4wins]

lando norris 🤝 celebrating a race win by getting shirtless

[jan-uinely]

hot takes [pt. ii]

good[e] morning campers! we have more thoughts on \_ |_ | _/  RuPaul’s Drag Race episode 9... because i have nothing better to think about... lol. This is a novel, btw. 

SO... I have said it before and i will say it again... the in memorium segment gave me life. Robot Barbie Cheerleader. also RIP to jan’s clear drink in untucked. 

Let’s get into the gig, because why not. Unsure if readers are aware, but I am very politically minded. [do I use tumblr as a way to put politics aside for a little while? sure. but I have also worked on campaigns, did not take Elizabeth warren dropping out of the presidential race well... I mean she dropped at the beginning of march and now look at where we are.... anyWAYs.]

I did not like this episode. I did not like the challenge. From what I understand, the only other time this challenge was done was in season 4, but I stopped watching season 4 when sharon wore a conf*derate flag bodysuit for a mini challenge, prior to which she wore a mccain/palin shirt. I still don’t know if it was a joke, but #yeet. 

So this episode took the place of a “roast”/ stand up episode. Those are usually fine. They separate folks a little bit more. But, as someone who followed the recent primary with a VERY close eye, but was could also be humorous about it... Debates are hard to do. What makes a debate work is that everyone is well versed on everyone else’s platform, and knows how to attack them, because they have been the same person the whole time. For some reason, everyone “invented” a different character to play.... no one had a real platform... and it’s really hard to ~volley~ when people don’t really understand everyone’s characters. I also think, similar to the democratic primary- that there were too many people on stage. I also think snatch game happened too early... but that’s another story never mind anyway [did you catch that into the woods/bernadette peters joke???? @ JAN ]. 

So everyone has these “characters” which for the most part are not super consistent with who they’ve been portraying on the show... which makes it challenging. Then, it was moderated very poorly, and then edited together very poorly. There was no flow... it was very choppy. Again... not a fan. 

Season 8 also had a political challenge, but if i remember correctly, that was just a branding challenge kind of. It was better than this. Now, do I appreciate the fact that Drag Race is taking this election very seriously?? YES. But this challenge was just Not It. 

I thought Jaida was very consistent, I liked Jackie’s a lot [It seems like a running gag that she is too prepared in the same way that Jan was too energetic... which has its own election flashbacks....] I am really enjoying crystal... I thought she also had what was close to a fully formed character.. it just needed to bake a little more. 

So... next up... ms. goode. #cringe. tbh I don’t care about the performance. Were they just trying to redo snatch game? basically. were they the only person to try and do that? No. 

This mirror chat was the bomb dot com tho. best part of the episode.

We’re talking about the “oh i’m not political” We knew from episode one that Gigi grew up in a lot of privilege- and wasn’t the only one [@ jan] but jesus has it shown in gigi the most... I mean bob the drag queen said it best.. Gigi goode’s mom vs Jaida Essence Hall. 

But the nerve to openly say “i’m not political, and I don’t like it” when you KNOW at this point in time what the contestants have gone through... it’s just really insensitive. Also to be the open front runner knowing that the RPDR fans can be young and impressionable.. is really irresponsible TBH. 

Guess what? I don’t like to follow the news sometimes. I don’t watch tr*mp’s press conferences. Sometimes I log off twitter and go to tumblr. But I still stay INFORMED on the issues and am able to back up my positions. I VOTE. [cannot believe i’m saying this but i would not be surprised if gigi did not vote in 2016.]

[sidebar]

Maybe it’s bc I stan jan in a way that I have stanned no one else before [the only ru girl who even comes close to it while I was actively watching the show without prior knowledge is naomi] Maybe it’s combined with the quarantine that I have nothing else to do. And with that comes a [virtual] introduction to basically everybody who’s anybody in the NYC drag scene. [I will say the Bob-Monet-Cracker-Jan quad is just A+] So maybe I just have a better idea of what it is [have I gone down a Youtube rabbit hole on this subject? yes] 

Is new york also my personal favorite city? yes. Have I been to LA? no. Do I like the concept of LA? no. Have I been west of the mississippi river? no. So maybe it’s a combination of all of these things [including Jan saying on repeat that New York is the greatest city to do drag] but. The NYC girls are just so much more political. Brita, Bob, MOnet, tbh Jan is also on the record saying some A+ shiz. Marti Cummings is a non binary drag artist running for city council in manhattan. “Everybody black and aquaria.” 

Is NYC politics like any city, full of machines and garbage too? Sure. But NYC is just so much more powerful and political. LA is just the embodiment of privilege.

 I also think it’s interesting that some of the smaller town/city gals will move to LA [Trixie/Katya/Alaska? I’m looking @ you] after they get the drag race coin. Not that it’s a bad thing or anything, it’s just an interesting dynamic. [another aside: the non NY/LA girls deserve it all and i think it’s really powerful when the show directly addresses issues of wealth/privilege/access to drag on the show.] 

[end sidebar]

And Gigi came into the competition saying “I want to be on vogue” which is great. Their fashion sense is great. Most of their outfits are great. It’s great that they can do comedy [sometimes- like when they are not playing the role of Gigi] But something else I take issue with- and don’t get me wrong humility is great- is the whole “I’m not a dancer” that’s BS. they whole back handspring etc, madonna challenge. Maybe you weren’t a trained dancer, but ffs cut the crap. [if you haven’t look up gigi goode showgirls] 

And yet the judges continue to give Gigi [and SP] free passes. It’s like Ru is so afraid that if either of them end up in the bottom, they won’t turn it out and then there will be no frontrunner. Well guess what? In season 7, Max had 2 wins before anyone else and came in 9th. valentina going home was a total gag. Brooke and Yvie lip synced on the snatch game ep. But Apparently when the skinny white fashion queen from the big city [gigi, aquaria] does less than well, they don’t get put up for elimination??? [did aquaria deserve to lip sync for the makeover? idk.]

Gigi is getting a “winner” edit and it’s not really fair to anyone. People who should have won certain challenges were IGNORED, and instead the producers give all the credit to gigi, giving them almost a worse edit. Like we want to see humans, not robots. If we learned ANYTHING from last week is that the judges don’t like when you just “start on 100 and stay there THE WHOLE TIME”. Bc the truth is that [aside from the loads and loads and loads of privilege,] Gigi is really nice and very talented. But I, as a viewer of reality TV, live to see the perfect fail. I want everyone to shine [this is why I loved when Naomi sent manila home, oops] 

Also.. I would like to address the fact that Gigi basically used the same outfit twice... this runway and entrance look have almost the same pattern, with just a slightly different skirt type. I would like for this behavior to be called out bc it is such a memorable silhouette. 

Also- Shout out to Crystal for the most bomb ass runway... I want that whole outfit pls. 

but aside from that... TBH I just want a show with the real top 7 [ the heidi and widow have been cracking me up saying “we’re at top 5″ or “we’re at top 6″ before the ep aired on instagram and I’m loling.. and that VERY AWK moment when Jan is on the x change rate saying that they couldn’t justify putting anyone other that her and widow in the bottom bc gigi and 3 wins and trying to work around not saying SP’s name had 2. [also shout out to jan the real mvp for unfollowing SP on twitter]] doing competitions and having fun. And I’ve said this before. This is a really good season that did not need production’s handprints all over everything. But they chose to cast RuPaul’s Best Friend Race, so they shouldn’t be complaining or trying to manufacture drama.

I was cracking up when Jaida was [clearly prodded by producers] asking is there anything we need to talk about? and then Jackie goes to talk to widow right before they leave and they are just nice to each other. lol no drama here. It’s the season of the inner saboteur. 

So Jackie and widow are in the bottom and tbh I don’t know. I would have liked to see Gigi lip sync. I would have liked this challenge to not happen. but it did. The lip sync song.. I just didn’t love the cut... Katy perry’s voice is so over produced [trend alert] that the illusion of the lip sync didn’t work in the first chorus. Jackie’s plastic bag was just A+. These lip syncs, tbh starting w jan v widow have been very good. not good enough to make up for the garbage that was everything since ep. 3, but close. [and some of that was song choice, some of it was not. I will say brita killed her first one but rip to rock]

Jeff gold bloom. I just don’t know. Maybe it’s bc I never saw jurassic park. Maybe he was just a bad judge. maybe he too was being prodded by production. ugh. You can read the takes on his interactions with jackie somewhere else. 

[tipsoctopus]

Chelsea legend, Aston Villa prospect, Liverpool ace: The young talents who lit up the 3rd Round

They say the new generation don’t truly appreciate the magic of the FA Cup, but as the competition has waned in prestige and become an opportunity for English football’s biggest clubs to give their biggest talents the weekend off, it has in turn provided talented young players with precious opportunities to announce themselves to a wider audience.

This season’s FA Cup’s Third Round was once again filled with shock results, rotated teams and the odd giant-killing, but it perhaps now best serves English football as a breeding ground for young talents hoping to earn their own highlight on Match of the Day and subsequently catch someone’s eye – whether it’s their own manager’s or someone else’s.

With that in mind, Football FanCast take a look at the young talents who lit up the FA Cup’s Third Round…

Josh Brownhill, 23

It always felt like a game Huddersfield would approach with passive resistance, and it was a shot that Ben Hamer always should have saved at his near post. But that shouldn’t take anything away from Bristol City’s latest scalp of Premier League opposition, after beating Watford, Crystal Palace, Stoke City and Manchester United last season, or Josh Brownhill’s cute 72nd-minute winner.

The 23-year-old twisted his way into the box and then past a Terriers centre-back before slotting home with a powerful finish. Lee Johnson is solidifying a strong reputation for developing young players – Tammy Abraham and Joe Bryan’s improvements under his tutelage being the most recent examples – and Brownhill looks like another who could follow that trend.

Andre Green, 20

Having made his Premier League debut at just 17 years of age, Aston Villa fans will have expected Andre Green to be a little further along in his development right now, rather than spending the season on loan at Portsmouth.

But with two winners in the last two rounds, the FA Cup is quickly proving to be a coming-of-age tournament for the strike prodigy, also further cementing this season as the most potent campaign of his career with five strikes in all competitions. Amid news of Tammy Abraham cutting short his loan spell in Birmingham, perhaps Green’s winner against Norwich on Saturday will tempt Dean Smith into recalling the young forward.

Ademola Lookman, 21

Marco Silva described Ademola Lookman as Everton’s ‘present and future’ at the start of the season, but the English winger has still found opportunities hard to come by. Nonetheless, when those opportunities have come, Lookman on the most-part has taken them – including against Lincoln on Saturday.

The former Charlton youngster was a relentless presence on the right-hand side in the opening stages and enjoyed just rewards after twelve minutes when he headed home an effort that had to be confirmed by goal-line technology. A delicious curler from outside the box later fizzed past the far post, although Lookman will be frustrated that he couldn’t add to his tally despite Everton’s utter dominance of their League Two opposition, finishing up with 75% possession.

Joe Willock, 19

In with a shout for the Player of the Round, Joe Willock only added to his reputation as potentially Arsenal’s most exciting young player with a first-half brace over Blackpool, reacting first to stab home a rebound after Aaron Ramsey’s free kick slapped the woodwork and then smartly queuing up at the back post as Eddie Nketiah flicked on Alex Iwobi’s driven cross.

Throw in two created chances of his own and four tackles, and it was an impressive all-round performance from the teenager – one that might well see him filling Ramsey’s void in midfield once the Welshman’s contract expires.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden was at the crucial relegation 6-pointer between Bolton and Rotherham. Check out the video below…

Antoine Semenyo, 19

If you could get over the commentators constantly mentioning his 19th birthday, there was much to like about Antoine Semenyo’s performance in Newport County’s giant-killing over Leicester City. It wasn’t crowned with a goal but the teenager on loan from Bristol City showed great energy and creativity in the opening stages, and then equally impressive positional discipline after Newport became increasingly focused on protecting their narrow lead.

With tricky feet, real vision and five goals on loan this season, Semenyo will no doubt have caught the eye of top flight clubs with his display against Premier League opposition. Remember the name.

Phil Foden, 18

A rite of passage that has always been a case of when rather than if. Phil Foden’s gradual ascension towards Manchester City’s next superstar took a firm step in the right direction on Sunday as Pep Guardiola’s side demolished Rotherham in a 7-0 win. Foden bagged City’s second goal just before half-time to inspire the biggest cheer of the afternoon at the Emirates Stadium, and the teenager will be hoping that earns him another start when City face Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

Frank Lampard, 40

Very old by player standards, but very young by manager standards and although it’s still early days for Frank Lampard in the dugout, the current signs are certainly encouraging. Despite Derby County tightening the purse strings, the Chelsea legend has his Rams side in the playoff race and regularly getting the better of Premier League opposition.

After knocking Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup earlier this season and giving a strong account of themselves against Chelsea in the following round, Derby pushed a rotated but by no means inadequate Southampton team all the way on Saturday, coming back from two goals down to force a replay. If Lampard continues to mastermind impressive performances against top flight clubs, it won’t be long before one or two are inquiring for his services.

Ki-Jana Hoever, 16

Thrown in at the deep end after Dejan Lovren’s injury, Ki-Jana Hoever didn’t exactly swim but didn’t exactly sink either – more trod incredibly treacherous Molineux waters as Liverpool succumbed to defeat at the hands of Wolves.

The teenage centre-back did his best to contain a talented and experienced centre-forward in Raul Jimenez upon his first-team debut, and while he didn’t quite succeed in that mission, he did show some flashes of brilliance ��� he drew raucous cheers from the away end when he won the ball back in the box, skipped past one defender, weaved his way between two more and set up a counter-attack with a pass out wide.

A long way to go before he’s playing regularly in the Premier League, but a promising inaugural outing for the Reds.

from FootballFanCast.com http://bit.ly/2QyJqFM via IFTTT from Blogger http://bit.ly/2Tyzga0 via IFTTT

[mancitynoise]

They say the new generation don’t truly appreciate the magic of the FA Cup, but as the competition has waned in prestige and become an opportunity for English football’s biggest clubs to give their biggest talents the weekend off, it has in turn provided talented young players with precious opportunities to announce themselves to a wider audience.

This season’s FA Cup’s Third Round was once again filled with shock results, rotated teams and the odd giant-killing, but it perhaps now best serves English football as a breeding ground for young talents hoping to earn their own highlight on Match of the Day and subsequently catch someone’s eye – whether it’s their own manager’s or someone else’s.

With that in mind, Football FanCast take a look at the young talents who lit up the FA Cup’s Third Round…

Josh Brownhill, 23

It always felt like a game Huddersfield would approach with passive resistance, and it was a shot that Ben Hamer always should have saved at his near post. But that shouldn’t take anything away from Bristol City’s latest scalp of Premier League opposition, after beating Watford, Crystal Palace, Stoke City and Manchester United last season, or Josh Brownhill’s cute 72nd-minute winner.

The 23-year-old twisted his way into the box and then past a Terriers centre-back before slotting home with a powerful finish. Lee Johnson is solidifying a strong reputation for developing young players – Tammy Abraham and Joe Bryan’s improvements under his tutelage being the most recent examples – and Brownhill looks like another who could follow that trend.

Andre Green, 20

Having made his Premier League debut at just 17 years of age, Aston Villa fans will have expected Andre Green to be a little further along in his development right now, rather than spending the season on loan at Portsmouth.

But with two winners in the last two rounds, the FA Cup is quickly proving to be a coming-of-age tournament for the strike prodigy, also further cementing this season as the most potent campaign of his career with five strikes in all competitions. Amid news of Tammy Abraham cutting short his loan spell in Birmingham, perhaps Green’s winner against Norwich on Saturday will tempt Dean Smith into recalling the young forward.

Ademola Lookman, 21

Marco Silva described Ademola Lookman as Everton’s ‘present and future’ at the start of the season, but the English winger has still found opportunities hard to come by. Nonetheless, when those opportunities have come, Lookman on the most-part has taken them – including against Lincoln on Saturday.

The former Charlton youngster was a relentless presence on the right-hand side in the opening stages and enjoyed just rewards after twelve minutes when he headed home an effort that had to be confirmed by goal-line technology. A delicious curler from outside the box later fizzed past the far post, although Lookman will be frustrated that he couldn’t add to his tally despite Everton’s utter dominance of their League Two opposition, finishing up with 75% possession.

Joe Willock, 19

In with a shout for the Player of the Round, Joe Willock only added to his reputation as potentially Arsenal’s most exciting young player with a first-half brace over Blackpool, reacting first to stab home a rebound after Aaron Ramsey’s free kick slapped the woodwork and then smartly queuing up at the back post as Eddie Nketiah flicked on Alex Iwobi’s driven cross.

Throw in two created chances of his own and four tackles, and it was an impressive all-round performance from the teenager – one that might well see him filling Ramsey’s void in midfield once the Welshman’s contract expires.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden was at the crucial relegation 6-pointer between Bolton and Rotherham. Check out the video below…

Antoine Semenyo, 19

If you could get over the commentators constantly mentioning his 19th birthday, there was much to like about Antoine Semenyo’s performance in Newport County’s giant-killing over Leicester City. It wasn’t crowned with a goal but the teenager on loan from Bristol City showed great energy and creativity in the opening stages, and then equally impressive positional discipline after Newport became increasingly focused on protecting their narrow lead.

With tricky feet, real vision and five goals on loan this season, Semenyo will no doubt have caught the eye of top flight clubs with his display against Premier League opposition. Remember the name.

Phil Foden, 18

A rite of passage that has always been a case of when rather than if. Phil Foden’s gradual ascension towards Manchester City’s next superstar took a firm step in the right direction on Sunday as Pep Guardiola’s side demolished Rotherham in a 7-0 win. Foden bagged City’s second goal just before half-time to inspire the biggest cheer of the afternoon at the Emirates Stadium, and the teenager will be hoping that earns him another start when City face Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

Frank Lampard, 40

Very old by player standards, but very young by manager standards and although it’s still early days for Frank Lampard in the dugout, the current signs are certainly encouraging. Despite Derby County tightening the purse strings, the Chelsea legend has his Rams side in the playoff race and regularly getting the better of Premier League opposition.

After knocking Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup earlier this season and giving a strong account of themselves against Chelsea in the following round, Derby pushed a rotated but by no means inadequate Southampton team all the way on Saturday, coming back from two goals down to force a replay. If Lampard continues to mastermind impressive performances against top flight clubs, it won’t be long before one or two are inquiring for his services.

Ki-Jana Hoever, 16

Thrown in at the deep end after Dejan Lovren’s injury, Ki-Jana Hoever didn’t exactly swim but didn’t exactly sink either – more trod incredibly treacherous Molineux waters as Liverpool succumbed to defeat at the hands of Wolves.

The teenage centre-back did his best to contain a talented and experienced centre-forward in Raul Jimenez upon his first-team debut, and while he didn’t quite succeed in that mission, he did show some flashes of brilliance – he drew raucous cheers from the away end when he won the ball back in the box, skipped past one defender, weaved his way between two more and set up a counter-attack with a pass out wide.

A long way to go before he’s playing regularly in the Premier League, but a promising inaugural outing for the Reds.

[popularchips-blog]

How to Be Social Media's Most Influential Artist

New Post has been published on https://popularchips.com/dailies/how-to-be-social-medias-most-influential-artist/

How to Be Social Media's Most Influential Artist

Joining the likes of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Rihanna and even Donald Trump and Barack Obama is K-Pop group BTS (Korean: 방탄소년단), the only Asians who made it onto US Weekly’s Most Influential Celebrities on Social Media. While their appearance may come as a surprise to some, particularly those familiar only with celebrities in the US media, BTS has established itself as a boy band with one of the strongest presences on social media since their debut in June 2013.

Success in Numbers

Let’s look at some numbers. To begin with, they have 9.4 million followers on Twitter, 6.1 million on Instagram, 5.3 million on Facebook and 4.6 million subscribers on YouTube. They also regularly receive over a million views on each of their videos on V Live, a Korean-based broadcasting app, known for working with other popular Korean celebrities in the entertainment scene such as BigBang, Exo, Twice, and IU. Unlike most celebrities in the West, they also have a presence on Chinese social media, with 1.1 million fans on microblogging website, Weibo.

In addition, the group first made it to the top of the Billboard Social 50, a chart that measures an artist’s reach on social media, for two weeks from 29 October 2016, and has made regular reappearances there since. This was precluded by BTS being the most retweeted artist in March 2016.

Let’s look at a few more numbers. In comparison to BTS, Canadian singer and songwriter Justin Bieber, another regular on the Billboard Social 50, has 102 million followers on Twitter, 92.4 million on Instagram, 75.3 million on Facebook and 32 million subscribers on YouTube.

The social media race is, in part, a numbers game: the more followers and subscribers you have, the more likes, comments and views you receive. And numbers alone seem to suggest that Justin Bieber far outstrips BTS, with ten or more times the number of followers and subscribers on all the social media platforms where both artistes are available.

These numbers perhaps suggest why some people were so angered when the boy band won at the Billboard Music Awards in May, with some expressing their confusion as to who BTS was and others even going so far as use the opportunity as an outlet to denigrate and belittle the entire K-Pop industry.

kpop is still irrelevant, nobody in te states is gonna listen to a korean song just because bts won an award https://t.co/xTtKRVlGXK

— spøøky (@vioIation) May 22, 2017

So how did BTS win the Billboard Music Awards? How did they get onto US Weekly’s Most Influential Celebrities? And how did they reach the top of the Billboard Social 50, not just once, but (as of the time of writing) 54 times?

The Importance of Engagement on Social Media

What is engagement? In social media marketing, the term ‘engagement’ refers to the levels of interaction of one’s followers or subscribers on a given post on any social media platform. These interactions often take the forms of likes, views (applicable to videos) and comments.

What does this mean with regard to BTS and Bieber? Simply put, due to the sheer number of followers and subscribers Bieber has, he is likely to have more likes, views and comments on each post, as compared to BTS.

However, while the absolute volume of likes, views and comments is important, the number of such interactions as a percentage of the total number of followers or subscribers is perhaps even more crucial. This metric measures the percentage of your following who is actually interested in your content. In influencer marketing in particular, a higher rate of engagement suggests that the influencer produces content that is more relevant to their following. In other words, if the influencer were hired for a campaign, their campaign post is more likely to be taken note of by their followers.

Comparison chart generated with Popular Chips‘s analytics platform

According to the comparison chart presented here, the data suggests that while Bieber has more followers, likes, comments and views, BTS actually fares five times better in engagement, thanks to the number of likes and comments they receive on average (as a ratio of the number of followers they have) for each of their posts. While Bieber has a lower percentage of inactive followers, both accounts fall in the mid-range of inactive followers based on the global average. A large number of inactive followers suggests a lower potential reach, since these followers have a history of not interacting with posts on Instagram.

Social Media’s Most Influential Artist

So how does one become social media’s most influential artist? BTS’s acceptance speech at the Billboard Music Awards event gives us a hint to our answer.

Photo courtesy of Soompi

Leader of BTS and main rapper Rap Monster (Kim Namjoon) began his speech with the words, “ARMY, our fandom, thank you very much… this award belongs to all the people all around the world that shined their love and light on us by the millions” (translation by Koreaboo).

Indeed, BTS does have a lot to thank their fandom for. Known for their enthusiasm and zeal, the BTS ARMY interacts both with each other and with their artist on social media at an unprecedented rate. As of the time of writing, the hashtag #방탄소년단 (BTS’s group name in Korean), trends on Twitter with 434 000 tweets. Search @bts_twt (the group’s official account handle) and you will be prompted to reload the page every minute to see new tweets, of which there is no lack.

Where voting makes a difference to whether the artist wins an award, you can be sure that the BTS Army will vote. Fan accounts and fans alike will encourage other fans to take part in the voting process. Here’s an example from the recent Mnet Asian Music Awards.

Use #2017MAMA_BTS to spread voting info + help on voting @BTS_twt for MAMA! Let’s not fall back ARMY ���➡️🏆

— worldwideBTS 🌎 (@btsanalytics) October 22, 2017

I am Voting For @BTS_twt On #2017MAMA – ARMYs Please Keep Voting ! –#2017MAMA_BTS pic.twitter.com/O4ee2EXWsT

— 아미 Park Jimin WIFE (@ArmyBTS3656337) October 19, 2017

When voting is restricted and connected to social media accounts, fans sometimes create additional accounts in order to register their vote. While this behavior is certainly not unique to BTS fans, it is definitely still a testament to the passionate support those in the fandom have for their artist.

~~Tutorial Thread~~ Voting for BTS in MAMA infinitely by creating twitter accounts. *For pc and laptop users. **Use Chrome. #2017MAMA_BTS

— 🍒망개떡🍒 (@dna8army) October 23, 2017

When their artist does not make it to the top, fans take this very seriously and in some cases, personally.

The gap is really stressing me.

Pls vote BTS on MAMA. 🙏🏻

This is the biggest music award in SoKor so pls let’s do our best!#2017MAMA_BTS

— 박마리엘 (@btstar_) October 23, 2017

GUYS VOTE WE ARE LOSING IN EVERY CATEGORY!!!!! WE HAVE TO SHOW BTS WE CARE!!!#BTS_MAMA_VOTE #2017MAMA_BTS @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/ih5xkk6OiE

— BTSObbsesed (@Btsobbsesed) October 20, 2017

Aside from voting, fans also stream music to support their group.

Wow already at 12.5M streams 😱 we are working so hard army 💪 lets hope the boys made it to hot100 ! #btsstreaming lets continue streaming!! pic.twitter.com/U5YN8JBPpi

— AJ아이데 💜 (@aidjimlop) September 23, 2017

They do so not only in enjoyment of the group’s music, but also as a strategy to keep the boy band on the charts.

having 80 naver music pass i let it played while i sleep :3 #btsstreaming pic.twitter.com/q6aoktDKJh

— 아리 (@kyamon101026) August 17, 2017

Instead of support mainly for the music that the group creates, there is a clear sense that fans support the members themselves. Fans see themselves as having a ���duty” to these members, to ensure that they are constantly showing their love and support, whether this is through voting, streaming or purchasing merchandise.

Let’s keep streaming, we’re slacking off. #BTSStreaming https://t.co/O26XQfgjeU

— 킴벌리 (@bangtanlovely7) September 24, 2017

With such ardent supporters, it is no surprise then that BTS has been tweeted, voted and streamed to the top of various charts. What BTS has managed to do, then, is to create a sense of loyalty in their following through judicious use of social media.

Lessons for Social Media Marketers

ONE. Pick the Right Social Media Platform for Your Purposes Although BTS has accounts on various platforms as noted above, their platform of choice is Twitter. Why Twitter when the platform appears to be have more limitations than most others? 140 characters and a maximum of 4 photo or video attachments per tweet for example.

For one, Twitter’s system allows for a greater reach than most others, with retweeting or quoting another user’s tweet being an integral part of the user experience. This means that if any BTS member tweets something, it can be quickly retweeted and/or liked by fans and shared across the platform. BTS’s latest tweet, for an example, with one of the members thanking fans for attending their Taiwan concert, received 258 000 retweets and 598 000 likes in three days.

고마워요 여러분 다시 만날 날을 기다릴게요~#JIMIN pic.twitter.com/wVQlIXpKi6

— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) October 22, 2017

Twitter is also a great way for fans in the fandom to keep updated on the latest news (in bites) and to communicate with each other. Notably, it is largely through retweets, quote and hashtags that fans encourage and remind each other to vote and to stream music.

Does this mean that social media marketers should all migrate their brands to Twitter? Certainly not. For many brands, especially those in the makeup and fashion industry, aesthetic appeal is still an important aspect of marketing. In such cases, Twitter is may not the best platform to use to advertise your product. However, marketing managers can still consider Twitter for other purposes, such as holding Q&A sessions with your target audience, disseminating press releases about your company or getting that hashtag about your new product trending.

It is important also to note that although Twitter is BTS’s main form of social media outreach, they have not neglected other platforms, such as Instagram or Weibo, making sure to post a few times a month in order to reach out to audiences who may prefer those platforms.

This is a strategy that business should also consider: don’t just stick to one platform. Use them in tandem to achieve an all round marketing solution.

TWO. Encourage Your Audience to Engage with You When BTS first debuted, they used their Twitter account to send personal replies to their fans.

@zelokiddo hi i am a man

— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) February 21, 2013

Given that tweets are short and sweet by nature, this allows interaction to happen across the platform without pressure of having to ensure that everything is of top-notch quality. The casual nature of the replies also adds to the fan’s experience as it creates the impression (whether true or false) that these tweets are genuine interactions with their favorite boy band.

New and upcoming brands in particular should try as much as possible to engage your audience in conversation on social media. The higher the level of engagement, between you and your target consumer base, the more likely they are to be interested in you.