DJ Hardwell’s Social Media Team Dances to its Own Tune

Organization Name: Anna Agency representing Hardwell

Industry: Music: EDM (Electronic Dance Music)

Name of Contact:  @AnnaAgency @HARDWELL

Web Reference: www.anna–agency.nl and https://www.djhardwell.com/

Hardwell, the #1 DJ in the world for two consecutive years has a strong team behind him promoting his brand as an artist.  Anna Agency, based in Amsterdam represents the 27 year old Dutch big room house and electro DJ and music producer. The growing popularity of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) makes it essential for his team to work together to keep him at the top of the charts. Hardwell boasts impressive stats. He has close to 8 million Facebook fan page “likes” and over 2 million followers on Twitter. His livestream at the sold-out festival, Tomorrowland, garnered over 24 million views on YouTube.

 Hardwell’s livestream

Description of how social media is used for business performance

In order to attract more followers, Anna Agency has made social media sharing a key component in every employees job function. The inter-sharing between agents, tour managers, booking assistants, label managers, and other DJs on the roster fuels a collective passion for music related content and drives awareness.

Each week, the social media manager drafts up tweets that will be released to Hardwell’s fan base to keep followers informed of club events, set-times, tours, and festival information. Other announcements include video releases, podcasts, contests, Beatport rankings, and industry news. All employees at the agency have an opportunity to review the weekly posts and offer feedback before they are released to the public.

 This inclusive strategy helps the business on a number of fronts:

1.)  Errors caught before publishing

2.)   Team effort reduces work load

3.)   Employees feel engaged and valued

4.)   Builds relationships between co-workers and management

5.)  Fresh ideas continually generated

6.)  Employees stay informed about upcoming events and gigs

7.)  Increases loyalty & positive image of agency

The culture of the agency naturally encourages posting, tweeting, “liking”, and sharing because employees are fans first. They know what fans want because they, too, are fans. They genuinely want to share their excitement surrounding music, making them ideal social media ambassadors. Employees play a valuable role in building the brand, and their contributions make them feel like their opinions matter.

Employees support the success of artists on the roster since they have an invested interest to build a strong media presence: the more popular the DJ becomes, the more demand for concerts which results in higher ticket sales, online music consumption, and merchandise orders. Employee involvement is paramount to the success of the agency.

 Hardwell performing at Tomorrowland

Participation is rewarded

Incentives are built into the role which motivates employees to work hard. Perks include free tickets to concerts, backstage access at festivals, complimentary drinks, discounts on merchandise, staff retreats in Ibiza, and not to mention, bragging rights. Staff have an opportunity to get up close and personal with celebrity artists, and make countless memories-many of which are documented online through blogs, photos, or uploaded videos. Employees also get the benefit of being the first to hear new music.

Another element for success is inserting sharing mechanisms for Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, Instagram, YouTube, and links to iTunes and Beatport on all communications distributed by Anna Agency. By consistently doing so, users have quick access to multiple platforms, making content easily sharable and current.

 Links on Hardwell’s label, Revealed

Lastly, promoters are an extension of staff, and are encouraged to share agency material. There is an interconnected web within the music industry: employee involvement ultimately increases fan engagement. The club world abides by PLUR which stands for peace, love, unity and respect. Social media sharing is an inherent part of the culture to unite fans, promoters, agencies, and DJs in their love of music and dancing.

 New record out

Lessons for others

Working as a team on social media platforms has a positive spin-off effect with countless benefits for employees. Being passionate about one’s company, products or services makes sharing part of one’s daily routine.

Submitted By: Bri Murphy, Marketing & Media Specialist