It is hard to deny the independent hustle of Macklemore and
Ryan Lewis, a rapper/producer duo who have had explosive success over their
popular single “Thrift Shop,” as well as having moderate success with other
socially conscious singles such as “Same Love” and “Wing$.” Macklemore, also
known as Ben Haggerty, is a Seattle, Washington based emcee who has been
recording music ever since the turn of the new millennium. He released his
first EP, Open Your Eyes, in 2000
while releasing his first album, The
Language of My World, in 2005. After a substance abuse issue that put him
on hiatus, he and Ryan Lewis started linking up and making music together in
2008, gaining a local loyal fanbase in Seattle.
They released an EP in 2009 with a rereleased version releasing in 2010
that topped the iTunes Hip-Hop chart at number 7. Along with releasing numerous
singles from 2011-2012, as well as their debut album, The Heist, they managed to reach number 2 on the Billboard Top 100
charts. Since then, “Thrift Shop” has been viewed over 200 million times on
YouTube and has peaked all the way to number 1 on the charts, making the duo
mildly successful without a record deal.
AN OVERVIEW OF EACH SOCIAL MEDIA BRANCH ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR BRAND
According to this article, 83% of The Heist’s first week sales were all from digital purchases, indicating the power of the online community to skyrocket a musician to success with an overwhelmingly online presence. The article credits four major social media outlets that Macklemore uses to promote his work and to interact with fans: a website/blog, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Macklemore’s and Ryan Lewis’ own website is a place where fans can view a wealth of photographs from touring, read a blog with details about the pictures, buy the album, find merchandise, and other various information while making it extremely accessible with quick loading times. Macklemore has his own Facebook page that, according to the article, he updates everyday. He interacts with his fans by announcing when and where free performances are, sending his thanks to them, and using the website as a cross-promotion platform. He also uses that outlet to post various pictures as well while also having pictures that fans tagged him in show up on the page. Wilson sees this as “an important aspect of building loyal and excited online communities” by “letting them see what he does outside of music and connecting them from outside of music.” Just as with Facebook, Macklemore uses Twitter to communicate primarily with fans, retweeting their tweets, responding to questions, and giving announcements. However, it can feel more personal because the short messages allow Macklemore to effectively keep in touch with fans and more frequently. Also, with the ability to retweet, Macklemore can let fans know that he is personally acknowledging that person, expressing to that person that their message was relevant and that their words matter.
Below is a screencast I did showing each social media outlet Macklemore and Ryan Lewis utilize:
YOUTUBE SUCCESS
This article credits a loyal fanbase and a large following
on social network sites as the key to Macklemore’s independent success,
particularly YouTube. Thanks to many fans supporting Macklemore on the Internet
and how his music is being spread through word of mouth, “Thrift Shop” has
become an instant cultural sensation. At the time the article was written in
January, the music video for “Thrift Shop,” released in August of last year, was
around 70 million views on the popular video sharing website YouTube. Three
months later, the number of views have tripled, which shows just how essential
word of mouth caused a video to go viral in such a small amount of time. This
was all, of course, without the backing of a record label, a minimal amount of
recognition in hip-hop, and without any notable producers. Rothe writes, “’"Thrift
Shop’ will make music labels reevaluate how they go about promoting artists and
how their control over new artists could change the artists’ creativity and
self-expression.”
Below is a screencast I made showing how to upload a basic video for YouTube for those who want to get started with showing the world your talents:
Below is a screencast I made showing how to upload a basic video for YouTube for those who want to get started with showing the world your talents:
UTILIZING TUMBLR FOR THE WEBSITE
In an interview with Macklemore’s and Ryan Lewis’ manager
Zach Quillen and Peter Schwartz, the vice president of their booking agency,
The Agency Group, Zach Quillen explained which social media sites were
essential for the success of the duo. While he mentioned both Twitter and
Facebook as two of the primary outlets, the one that he touched upon the most
is what their website is operated on: Tumblr. Every time a video or photo is
posted on the site, it is placed through the Tumblr circuit and is able to be
shared. He stressed how Tumblr is very convenient for mobile devices that
utilize applications such as Instagram in which Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are
able to instantly post something while continuously being on the go. Confirming
that Macklemore is the one that directly posts material, Schwartz emphasizes
the accessibility that is associated with such simple applications, and how
that allows them to easily connect with fans directly.
USING INSTAGRAM FOR CONTESTS
As a special promotion for the video for “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore utilized Instagram to set up a contest for fans. For this contest, according to Todd Olmstead, he asked people to submit photos that showed off some of their finds at a thrift shop, and the winner was flown out to Seattle, Washington to attend the video premiere. With 32,000 followers at the time the article was written, it was reported that there were over 400 entries. Macklemore, himself, praised the winner by posting the winning picture on his blog with a message of commendation. It is an effective method of promotion that allows fans to get involved and become recognized for it.
FACEBOOK AND DIRECT COMMUNICATION
Part of what makes Macklemore so appealing to fans is how
humble he is in his approach to ensuring that he has contact with his fans,
particularly on Facebook. Chris Cannon puts it simply: “Allowing your record
label to take control of your Facebook page is missing the point, this is about
talking to your fans not at them.” One of the ways Macklemore
does this is by posting pictures of not only him on tour or him with fans, but
he uses his Facebook page to post more personal photographs, such as his
family. For example, according to Cannon’s article, when Macklemore made a post
proposing to his girlfriend, it received over 100,000 likes. Other ways of
interacting with his fans on Facebook include the following:
- Rewarding those who show up early to his shows with shout-outs
- Creating a sense of belonging by referring to his fans as the “Shark Face gang”
- Asking for constructive criticisms and feedback for videos and song
- Constantly praising his fans for getting him to where he is now
- Hosting Q&As
As Cannon says, “If you take your fans with you they will be
happy to share you.”
For being independent artists without a major record deal,
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have achieved a lot, and continue to be a hot act to
seek out. Record labels have become intrigued with Macklemore’s business model.
Commercials have used their songs. And they have proven that no matter who you
are, you don’t have to depend on music executives in order for your voice to be
heard. As long as you are savvy with promotion and stick to what you do best,
it could be possible for anybody to achieve. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have
definitely set that example for future talent.
REFERENCES:
Cannon, Chris. “How Macklemore Stuck It to the Music
Industry.” The Huffington Post. 11
Mar. 2013. 19 Apr. 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/chris-cannon/how-macklemore-stuck-it-to-the-music-industry_b_2852300.html.
Franco, Chris. “Macklemore’s Manager On Music Marketing and
Social Media.” Hypebot.com. 6 Dec.
2012. 19 Apr. 2013. http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2012/12/macklemores-manager-on-music-marketing-and-social-media.html.
Rothe, Adam. “Macklemore shatters music industry standard.” Collegiate Times. 20 Jan. 2013. 19 Apr.
2013. http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/21248/macklemore-shatters-music-industry-standard.
Wilson, Zoe. “How Social Media Made Indie Hip-Hop Artist
Macklemore #1 on iTunes.” Confluence. 29
Oct. 2013. 19 Apr. 2013. http://info.confluencedigital.com/blog/bid/162826/How-Social-Media-Made-Indie-Hip-Hop-Artist-Macklemore-1-on-iTunes.
Olmstead, Todd. “Macklemore Runs Instagram Contest to Launch
New Single [VIDEO PREMIERE].” Mashable. 29 Aug. 2012. 20 Apr. 2013. http://mashable.com/2012/08/29/macklemore-thrift-shop-video/.
