Lil B is a master marketer, and musicians would be wise to take some plays out of his playbook. With that in mind, the guys over at SnobHop have outlined 5 rare lessons from the Based God’s strategy. Soak it up y’all! #TYBG
1. Culture is Key
Lil B created a mystique about himself using his Based God persona. And with the persona he created an actual movement — the Based Movement, which became a culture for his fans to thrive in. Culture is important when cultivating a fanbase — in fact it’s the only thing outside of the music that actually matters. In a nutshell, creating culture should be the basis of your marketing strategy. (See Lesson 3 below for more details)
Lil B is authentically himself without being gimmicky and his penchant for creating culture has put him on some pretty big stages. You can do same, guys.
Bottom Line: In a noisy social world where every Young, Lil, & First Name, Last Name has an opinion you have to find a way to parlay your music into a cultural relevance which in turn creates a movement, which eventually creates growth.
2. Quantity over Quality… Sometimes
In an era where songs have a shelf life of weeks at best, it’s important to realize that in some cases the quantity of music you release is more important to your career more-so than the quality of each song. Makes sense? Lil B understood this principle perfectly in the early stages of his career where he gifted fans with an endless amount of mixtapes, videos, and rare footage for them to consume.
Peep the rare footage.
Bottom line: there was so much content available if you didn’t like one thing you were bound to like another.
3. You Need a Social Media Strategy
Although Lil B is a social media phenom, the one channel he’s the most outspoken on is Twitter. Coincidence? I think not. Like any social media guru, Lil B recognizes the power of Twitter and how easy it is to instantly connect to his audience. His past tweets have garnered several media placements in high profile news outlets and if YOU can learn to leverage your social, you can do the same thing.
Bottom Line: You need a strategy for social media. How are you going to engage with fans? What vibe do you want them get when they visit your profile? What’s the one thing they can say about you on social media that they can’t say about anybody else they follow?
These are all critical questions to ask yourself and the better you are at answering these questions, the farther you’ll be able to move in your career.
4. Define Your Niche & Find Your Audience
Everyday another struggle rapper starts a movement. But what’s the problem with that? Well, they aren’t really movements…yet. You may have a few supporters here and there but a movement is much bigger. It’s less fandom thing, and more of a cultural phenomenon.
Bottom Line: Examine Lil B’s based movement on your social media channels. Look at how hardcore his following is and ask yourself how you can duplicate that. Where’s HIS momentum coming from? Where’s YOUR momentum going to come from?
5. Make a Statement with Your Art
Lil B is no stranger to controversy. Often his choice in fashion which includes feminine clothing, and references to himself being a “pretty bitch” are jarring to those who don’t really get what he’s all about; which is positivity. Through his music Lil B has been able to break through barriers and essentially make powerful statements with art that have kept him relevant throughout the years.
Bottom Line: Define your voice as an artist. What causes are you passionate about? How can you communicate what you’re about through your art in a way that entices your listeners? Does the art direction match my beliefs? Is the music matching? Once you find out, make a statement!
Welp, that’s it! Did you enjoy what you read? If so, YOU should follow us on social media for more.
— SnobHop