Ben Rector: A Case Study in Brilliant use of Social Media

I originally found independent singer/songwriter Ben Rector via NoiseTrade, where musicians give away songs for free – no strings attached – in hopes of building a following. Not only have I enjoyed Ben’s music and proven the NoiseTrade business model true by going out and paying for more of his music on my own, but I’ve also become a huge fan of how brilliantly Ben uses Social Media. His YouTube channel is hilarious, and his latest effort to engage and reward fans surrounding his new album’s release is classic Thank You Economy.

Below is Ben’s video asking fans to help spread the word about the new album, and what they’ll get from him in return. The effort apparently paid off. In less than a week, his album went to #4 overall on iTunes and #1 on the singer/songwriter list. All this without a major record label or promotional effort behind it!

As a bonus here’s one of my favorite Ben Rector songs. If nothing else, follow this guy for his Social Media savvy, because he’s doing a brilliant job!