How To Promote Your Brand 'Gangnam Style'

History was made recently when Psy (South Korean singer and songwriter) achieved more hits than any video in history with his sensational Gangnam Style music video. Overtaking Justin Beiber’s record on YouTube and surpassing 800 million views within six months is no small feat.

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Promote Your Brand 'Gangnam Style'

There are dozens (maybe hundreds) of blogs and articles online questioning how this happened. Some say, it’s a fluke or just the next one-hit wonder or passing fancy. Maybe that's so. However, this is quite an accomplishment. There are keys to success that we can borrow from Psy as we promote ourselves. Take a look at these career tips so you can promote your brand Gangnam Style!

Positive And Energized

The Psy Way: You can’t watch the video without feeling that energy. There are a variety of people dancing in multiple locations with wind, snow, and bright clothing. Everything is in motion and upbeat. The positive energy is undeniable. Your Career Tip: Please don’t show up to your interview in a blue tuxedo and sunglasses! What we learn from this example is that positive energy is attractive. An optimistic outlook as well as an active job search will make you a more attractive.

Understanding The Market

The Psy Way: Many say the song is mindless and catchy. That may be how we experience it. However, the content and message were finely-developed. It's rumored that Psy used crowdsourcing within the dance community to gain ideas to choreograph the famous horse dance. Also, he made a point to include certain iconic locations in the video to drive home the message of the “every man” mocking materialism. So, I say catchy - yes! (Just look at the numbers.) Mindless? No way. He captured the attention of the global market and that’s no accident. Your Career Tip: Study your industry and job market. What jobs are on the rise? What skills are in demand? How can you match your skills to the high-demand jobs in the market? It’s all about understanding your market and positioning yourself via your message. Your initial message is through your social media profiles and your resume.

Social Media, A Must

The Psy Way: Clearly Psy could not have reached beyond the South Korean K-Pop market without a wise social media strategy. He had albums before and was with a relatively small label. Achieving viral status with Gangnam Style was a game-changer for Psy. Your Career Tip: Networking via social media is no longer an innovative or novel career strategy. It's a basic necessity for survival. The lack of a social media presence in 2012 is akin to not owning a phone. You are simply handicapped and in most career situations, you are irrelevant.

Limitless Promotion

The Psy Way: Because the song, Gangnam Style, does not have a copyright, the cost barrier was removed, which helped the song spread like wildfire. The song was not limited to those on music sites or those willing to pay. Less than six months after the launch with 800 million hits, the strategy seems to have paid off. Your Career Tip: Don’t limit yourself to one channel to promote yourself. Stay active on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media outlets. Post your resume on niche as well as broad-based career sites. Interact with other professionals via online forums and conferences. So many candidates limit their search to one recruiter or applying to one job at a time. An active multi-faceted campaign leads to unlimited possibilities. There is nothing like a success story to inspire us to achieve greater things in our career and our lives. We hope that the success of Psy motivates you. While some scratch their heads and wonder how it has happened. We can look closer and use some of these methods to achieve success in our careers.