I feel like Rebecca Black hasn’t gotten enough coverage. As a member of the “It’s So Bad It’s Good Hall of Fame” Ms. Black has stormed into internet stratosphere with a holy vengeance … completely by accident. The goofy song that a twenty-something rapper/producer wrote for her has inspired bazillions (scientific fact) of parodies and blog posts. Make that a bazillion and one today. People are now famous because they made fun of her. Genius. That was sarcasm.

It’s been well documented that her parents wanted to give her this gift of a song and video production. No one expected the reaction that henceforth came. (Some times I speak in Ye Olde English for fun.) What has transpired since the release of the video is phenomenal and teaches us that we never really know what will work in marketing.

Of course, there are time tested practices that should be followed, but sometimes the random horribly bad music video is what puts you over the top. No one plans to be ridiculed into fame and success except for Carrot Top. Now it’s time for this quote, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” All the planning, brain-storming, meeting can go for naught, but keep the ideas flowing one of them is bound to pop, even if it is seemingly terrible.

Rebecca was doing what she loved and did her best at it. She is not a professional and she is 13, so let that be the barometer. Doing what you love and putting your best effort will eventually connect with others. Not everyone will connect but that is not the point. We just need to connect to the right people. This may take a lot of trial and error or you may stumble into the answer by dumb luck. Either way create something.

If your marketing, creativity or whatever you do is not getting noticed because its simply bad for lack of effort, don’t expect anything to change. Excellence should most definitely be pursued, but if your best produces something that will be mercilessly mocked by the hordes, embrace it. Don’t take yourself so seriously. There will always be a segment of people that will not appreciate what you’ve done. Be fine with it. Remarkably, Rebecca Black was able to grasp that early on while millions ridiculed her.

Aim for the best and if you don’t happen to hit it you may still be wildly successful. Don’t be afraid to be wrong it may just be the rightest thing you’ve ever done.

Now for your listening enjoyment:

Yeah, I’m writing about Justin Bieber. Apparently, he is a marketing genius. I have been told to watch Never Say Never by my wife and by marketing guru Guy Kawasaki. Inevitably it will happen, and I will watch it for educational purposes only. There will be no enjoyment whatsoever. I kid. I know the Biebs is a good guy and it’s a rite of passage for tweens to go crazy about some pop star. I’m not too proud to take lessons from a 17 year old internet craze.

Not only has YouTube been a boon for his success, but Twitter and Facebook have been instrumental to building his following. Lady Gaga and Bieber are number one and two respectively in the number of Twitter followers. He also has nearly 30 million fans on Facebook. It’s not enough to be uber-famous to tally that many social media followers. Interaction and content are key.

Here’s where we can take from the Biebs. We may not have the amazing dance moves or smooth vocals but we can engage and communicate. Have something to say and make it interesting. And say it to someone when you have an opportunity.

In order to interact, we must be active on these platforms. Getting a reply or a message and not acknowledging is a no go.  Take this example from Bieber’s Twitter feed as an example of connecting:

BiebsBella Isabella
@justinbieber people continue to say that you will never notice me,they’re wrong,i won’t surrender. i’m a BELIEBER #dreambig

justinbieber Justin Bieber
@BiebsBella i notice

Bang. Fan for life. BiebsBella was obviously a fan, but his interaction will further solidify her devotion to him. And she’ll keep buying his stuff. And he will be even more rich. Take the time to reach out to those that have expressed interest in your business. You don’t know the long lasting effect it may have.

We all have something to offer. The challenge is to rise above the din of noise that constantly vies for our customer’s attention. Doing something different. Be personal. Be consistent.

Now to rent Never Say Never and become a true Belieber.