You may or may not know who Justin Bieber is, but I can assure you that many, many people do. At 17, he is one of the most popular singers in the world. world. His rise to fame is among the most explosive of all time, and while no one can promise you the same results, there are some social media lessons anyone can learn from him.

1. Start small

Justin Bieber started uploading some home videos on YouTube at the age of 12. All he wanted to do, according to his own Facebook bio, was share some of the competition clips with friends and family who couldn’t make it. competitions. So he filmed them, posted them on YouTube, and thought he was done. But he did it steadily, posting dozens of them on the site.

* Regardless of the platforms you use, use them consistently, even if you are not as “big” as the big guys.

2. Do what you love

By doing what he loved and was passionate about (as much as a 12-year-old can be), he created an enthusiastic audience. His love for what he was doing was reflected in the music. Not only did his friends and family enjoy it, but others did.

* If you love Facebook, use Facebook; If it’s Twitter, use Twitter, but focus on what you love to focus on: your niche. Do it well and do it with passion.

3. Word of mouth referrals are key

His family and friends were so pleased with the videos that they shared them, over and over again. Others followed. Before long, Justin had 10,000,000 views on his videos. Because what he was doing was perceived by others as “shareable”, it was shared. Word of mouth, referrals, and relationship marketing all feed off of quality and perception of it.

* Be Shareable: Provide quality information, tips, or tools. Ask for references if given the opportunity, but it is possible to share it first.

4. Imitate what resonates

Most of Justin’s songs at the time were covers of songs, songs by other artists that he was performing and redoing in his own way. He spoke freely about the quality of others, as he perceived it, imitating their work. In other words, he also became a referral agent for others. That led him to meet one of his favorite artists, Usher, which led to his first contract.

* Remember that social media is a two-way street. Watch to see what the “greats” are doing, especially those with whom you agree or are using strategies that resonate with you. Talk about them and share what you are learning from them.

5. Be consistent

Justin Bieber posted dozens of home videos on a regular and consistent basis when he started out. Now, he posts multiple times a day on Facebook and Twitter, as well as other sites. By constantly interacting with his fan base, at the level where they want information, he has amassed 38 million fans on his Facebook page and 15 million followers on Twitter. Every day those fans and followers hear from him, just like they would any friend they are in a relationship with.

* You may not want to have millions of people that you interact with every day and then again, maybe you do. Either way, the key is consistency in any relationship. Social media marketing is relationship marketing, and to be in any kind of relationship, you have to be “there” for the other person, every day.

Building a social media presence or campaign takes time. But if you follow a few simple practices, you will find that you can also create a thriving online presence for your business.