I was in ‘shock’ when I was given a YouTube link for Lady Gaga’s new music video – ‘Telephone’. The music video is very graphic with many ‘unsuitable’ scenes which clearly has offended many people. MTV and other TV stations have refused to play it on air in fear that there would be huge negative backlash from viewers. You can view it at the link below but please watch it at your own discretion.

Lady Gaga – Telephone

Lagy Gaga reminds me of Madonna in her early days when she danced on stage with socks tied to her hair and her many usual ‘antiques’. Indeed,  it did cause quite a stir at the time but I suppose it’s quite similar with what Lady Gaga is doing now and it’s not surprising that Madonna is Lady Gaga’s inspiration! (in reference to Wikipedia).

You might be asking? Why am I blogging about Lady Gaga and what has this got to do with your business?

Let me explain..

Successful business requires the ‘attention’ or exposure to the markets that they serve and if the business  doesn’t get any of these then it would be difficult for it to grow and expand.

Obviously, we do not have to be like Lady Gaga but we have to admit that her business and marketing techniques are  clearly working. She has successfully sold over 10 million copies from her ‘The Fame Monster’ album and with the prevalence of illegal music today, it is quite an achievement! So how did she do it?

Shock and Awe.

I think that is her secret ingredient for success and also the key reason for her massive worldwide viral-word-of-mouth sensation! Everyone seems to be talking about Lady Gaga. It’s hot off the press!

It’s all well and good that Lady Gaga is now a very successful businesswoman and musician but how can your business emulate that? Can you shock and awe your market? If so, how will you do it? Are you willing to go beyond the usual conceptions?

I am a staunch believer in business ethics. We don’t want to lose any existing and potential customers but in reference to this discussion, what can you do to ‘shock and awe’ your markets and create a massive impact?

Let me know your input. I would love to hear your feedback on this.

Now, let’s look at Lady Gaga’s involvement in social media. (I haven’t studied this in great detail but if you’d like to add anything then please do so in the comment section below)

• Twitter – She followed more than 152,000 people but stops following once she has reached that ‘critical mass’. Lady Gaga On Twitter

• Facebook – Currently, Lady Gaga has close to 6 million fans on Facebook.  Lagy Gaga on Facebook

Looking at the example above, we can see that Lady Gaga is pretty much involved in the major social media sites. She followed a lot of people on Twitter initially, but as her popularity grew, she stopped following. Perhaps this should give you an idea that you could do the same? Maybe you should give it a go!

We live in the online social media age now and if your business is not already on Twitter and own a Facebook fan page then you are losing many potential ‘rabid’ customers. Start tweeting and build your fan base on Facebook. Get interactive. ‘Talk’ to your fans and build a brand. I’m sure it will all pay off soon.

All the best,

Ambar Hamid.