The children's music CD "Music Soup" by Jen Gould had been out for a few months when her husband Hayes Steinberg (a former colleague of mine at MacLAREN McCANN in Toronto) came up with an idea to get the word out about it.
Hayes put together a Facebook group called "Kids Love Jen Gould's Music Soup" in support of her efforts. He invited all of his friends to join the group. Upon learning of the CD, some parents in Hayes' social sphere downloaded a copy of the album from iTunes. The vast majority of his friends however, simply showed their support by joining his Facebook group.
The power of social networking was about to kick in. A simple request to join the group went out to Hayes' social sphere of over 150 people, this combined to create the potential reach of tens of thousands - each quite possibly reading in their Facebook 'newsfeed' that a friend had joined a group proclaiming "Kids Love Jen Gould's Music Soup". You can't buy that kind of quality media - awareness and endorsement all wrapped up in a message of support.
Well beyond Hayes' invite list, deep into the social sphere of his extended network, someone found Jen's music who may never have done so otherwise.
Hayes sent me this message this morning:
" ...we were contacted (via the facebook group) by a national children's clothing store called Please Mum. They ordered 15,000 cd's to giveaway during the holiday sales season for a 'free gift with purchase'. In the end, they gave away something like 14,750 cd's. In addition to that, we've sold almost 6000 cd's through word of mouth alone. And then, just last week, my wife got a JUNO NOMINATION for her CD! It's only existed for a year and a half and here we are, going to the JUNOs in Calgary!!!..."
Congrats to Jen Gould, we're pulling for you. Another example of the amazing reach and capability of WOM marketing via social media.
Here is Jen Gould performing from her Juno nominated CD "Music Soup"
Purchase a copy of the album here.
A radical do.
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