BRAZIL! As a special thank you for selling out Rock in Rio, I've added Sao Paulo on 9/25 & Curitiba on 9/29! Go to http://www.katyperry.com/events
Oct 6, 2020 2:16:00 PM
How off-the-chart engaging do you have to be to attract 50m Twitter followers? Well Katy Perry has more than 70m of them. Discover the secrets to Katy Perry’s extraordinary powers of engagement.
How popular is Katy Perry?
Before we find out the secrets to Perry's success, allow me to blow your mind with some numbers:
- 70.6m - people following @katyperry on Twitter
- 72m - likes for the Katy Perry Facebook page
- 5.6bn (yes, billion) - video views on the Katy Perry Vevo YouTube channel
- 16m - subscribers to the Katy Perry Vevo YouTube channel
- 1bn - YouTube views for the 'Dark Horse' music video
- 21m - followers of @katyperry on Instagram
Are you on Twitter? If you wake up tomorrow and every person in France has followed you overnight, Katy Perry will still have more followers than you.
What are the secrets to her success?
Perry's brand of pop is undoubtedly at the front of its field, right up there with 'Swifty' and 'Ri-Ri'. But there must be more behind her phenomenal popularity than California Gurls.
I don't want to be above my audience; I want to be one with my audience.
How has Miss Perry engaged millions of devoted fans worldwide?
1) She speaks their language
Katy Perry is a lot of fun and very silly. Read her Twitter, look at her Instagram - try to remember that she is a hugely successful, 30-year-old multi-millionaire.
The emojis, 'baes' and 'zomgs' make her sound like a teenager - exactly what they're designed to do. She lives the life her fans dream of, and she describes it for them.
Engagement lesson #1: Speak your audience's language.
2) She shows her human side
Remember when then-husband Russell Brand posted a less-than-flattering photo of Perry online? The one where she looks slightly less beautiful than usual? Katy takes care of that herself now
Whether her face is full of cream and covered in wraps, or she's having her feet cupped, Perry isn't afraid to show her less glamorous side to the world. And it makes her infinitely more likeable.
There are a lot of things that are personally uncomfortable to show, especially me without makeup and completely bloated or crying. But I've realized that it's time for me to show my audience that you don't have to be perfect to achieve your dreams. Because nobody relates to being perfect.
Engagement lesson #2: Embrace your imperfections.
3) She creates the 'us'
Much like 90s wrestler Hulk Hogan and his 'Hulkamaniac' superfans, Katy Perry has a loyal legion of 'KatyCats'. They hang off her every update, revelling in being passengers on the ride Perry calls life.
17.7K people are talking about this
She publicly thanks her fans - often - for their unwavering support. It's not The Katy Perry Show. It's The Katy and The KatyCats Show. The difference is enormous. Engagement lesson #3: Create a shared purpose and experience.
Who do you find super-engaging?
