If you’re like me, you entered 2020 with a pretty full concert calendar. Excited for the artists both young and old I’d be seeing, I had even been planning weekend getaways to correspond with some of the shows. Obviously, those plans came to a bit of a halt with the onset of coronavirus. Music fans around the world were left sad and lost at the prospect of at least a year without a show to let loose at. Enter a new music industry line: the social e-concert thanks to Social Media Marketing for TikTok and other platforms. 

The concept of live-streaming an event is certainly nothing new but up until this point, it had been an add on to the actual live-experience. Between social distancing and different regulations in place all over tour routes, the industry had to get a bit creative. A growing number of artists are putting together live concerts for their fans that even feature their own “admission” charges. While thankfully nowhere near the same price of a standard show, this price gives you access to the concert and usually a live-chat feature with other fans– sometimes even with the artists themselves. 

One example of artists doing this is the band The Maine. Based out of Arizona, the band is selling $10 tickets to their concert. They’re even offering merch bundles with “tour” shirts to further make the experience feel like the real thing. Fans of the band all over social media are joining together in groups to chat and “attend” the show together. The Maine has traditionally been a band that makes great use of Social Media Marketing for TikTok and unique marketing opportunities and pandemic concerts are no exception. 

Another artist making the most of a difficult situation is The Weeknd. Real name Abel Tesfaye, The Weeknd teamed up with TikTok for the first live virtual reality concert on the app. While Abel and his avatar brought down the e-house, fans were able to chat amongst themselves and express their love for him in the comments. To make the experience more special, he even teased a new song and was joined for a surprise performance of a song with Doja Cat. The show was free for fans but part of the collab with the app included the release of a special collection of merch, the proceeds of which went to the Equal Justice Initiative.

Other notable artists taking part in this new era of concerts are Norah Jones, Jason Isbell, Aventura, and Post Malone, the last of which performed a tribute to Nirvana with drumming legend Travis Barker. Many are even taking the opportunity to use this time to raise money for charities or shed light on important issues. 

While the sweat and standing around at a traditional concert may not be the best part of a night out at a show, there is absolutely something to be said for the social experience it provides. Whether going with a group of friends or meeting new people there on your own, the bonding experience of a concert is an unparalleled experience. Particularly with younger people, social media provides a wonderful way to stay in touch, chat, and get excited over their favorite artists, all without having to leave the safety of their homes. 

When you think about it, while they’re certainly no replacement for the experience of a live show right in front of you, keeping the e-concert in a post-COVID world could be a great idea. These shows provide the opportunity to see a show to many who wouldn’t be able to otherwise, whether because of cost, illness, or other interference, all while still staying social, thanks to Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and other awesome social media apps. 

If you’re intrigued by the power of Social Media Marketing for TikTok and how it’s affecting the human experience during COVID, reach out to us here at The AD Leaf! We’d love to show you all social media can do for you and your company during this unprecedented time. 

Covid-19 has no doubt forced changes in nearly all industries but few have been more obvious than professional sports. It’s no secret that some sports teams are more popular than others but at the end of the day, at least their corresponding social media accounts have always had games and team news to post about. With suspended and, in some cases, canceled seasons, all teams have been forced to get a little creative with how they interact with their fan bases and keep people interested in their teams. Let’s take a deeper look at a few examples of how the industry has adapted. 

One yearly event that always makes waves is the NFL Draft, which while always televised, is also always an in-person event. This year, cameras were in hundreds of living rooms across the country, ready and waiting to capture the exuberant reactions of the fresh draft picks when their name was called. Social media saw a huge boom in direct relation to the draft, with teams like the Bengals seeing a 412% increase in their social media engagement. To put that number into a bit perspective, the Bucs only saw a little over a 300% increase in their engagement when they announced the signing of former Patriots legend Tom Brady.

Many leagues have also made prior seasons available to view for free and have been hosting e-watch parties of classic games on social media. With normally pricey things like NBA League Pass and NFL Game Pass available for free, social profiles were able to target people’s nostalgia for classic wins to keep people entertained and engaged. Similarly, with more free time on their hands than they’re quite used to, many big-name athletes have been hosting Q&As and live streams on both their personal profiles and team ones, which has been an added bit of fun for socially inclined fans. This time off has also seen the e-reunions of several championship-winning teams. They’re not as good as a new game, but these added interactions have certainly made the loss of sports a bit easier for hardcore fans. 

Shutdowns have also seen teams leaning into their humorous side with a ton of memes and heavy usage of Twitter’s poll feature. Often redundant questions, these polls are a fun way to get fans talking to each other and with the team itself. One example of that is this poll the Rays recently ran. There’s no higher compliment for a pitch than to be described as filthy or any synonym thereof, so they ran with that idea to amusing results.

While some leagues in the States are, for better or worse, looking to start back up soon, some leagues around the world have already gotten up and running, including the English Premier League (go Liverpool!) and Korean Baseball Organization. Instead of awkward silence in between broadcaster commentary, they’ve chosen to play crowd noise for home viewers, making it nearly just like how it would normally be to watch on the couch. Aside from empty seats in the background of in-game pictures and footage, a scroll through the Twitter of an EPL club page seems just like any other season!

Sports have always been a unifier, even if it’s bonding over hatred of each other’s teams with some trash talk– something I’m quite good for– and there are few things better than enjoying some stadium food while being surrounded by like-minded fans, so when faced with a reality where that wasn’t available, technology and social media have really come in clutch. If you’re interested in having The AD Leaf ® manage your social media engagement, feel free to give us a call at 321-255-0900 or email us at info@theadleaf.com. Let us hit your social media out of the park! 

During times of national emergency, or in this case, global, companies need to walk the fine line of continuing with business as usual while being sensitive to the problem at hand. Companies and individuals alike are going through a scary, uncertain time. During times of uncertainty, people turn to what is secure. It may seem minor, but a sensitive and robust message on social media from brands does help provide a sense of normalcy. It’s a gut reaction for many companies to pull back on social media marketing and advertising but is that the right call? To be frank, no. Let’s talk about some common concerns and how to confront them.

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