How One Rapper Used Email + Video to Create a Loyal Following
By Kristen Dunleavy April 16, 2015
Cole Mize is an independent recording artist, writer and producer who provides coaching for up-and-coming rappers. That’s right – if you’re looking to become the next Swizz Beatz, Cole Mize is your guy. He serves a niche market, for sure, but the demand for his services spans far beyond his small Georgia hometown.
The Challenge
Cole needed a way to spread the word about his business and showcase his awesome content. Traditional advertising wouldn’t cut it. For someone whose career was built on trust and personal relationships, Cole knew that any marketing he used would have to be a two-way street of communication. He needed his audience’s feedback, and they needed his personalized coaching.
The solution? Email marketing.
Getting the Right Content to the Right People
Cole Mize creates new content weekly to keep his followers engaged. Email marketing allows him to deliver all the video and blog content he creates each week into one, neatly packaged email. His followers don’t have to go searching for his content on his social channels and on his website, so they never miss a beat (pun fully intended). As a result, Cole has seen an increase in his blog traffic and he is now ranking on YouTube for the phrase “How to Rap.”
More Engagement, More Often
Delivering the content is just the beginning. It’s his audience’s continued engagement that keeps Cole Mize Studios going strong. For example, instead of just posting a video about developing a cadence in rapping, Cole asked his followers to submit their own videos so he could spotlight them. He then created a new video featuring his followers and a beat he created just for them. Since he’s constantly giving and receiving feedback, Cole can create videos that he knows will resonate with his audience. And that’s what makes his content AWesomely valuable.
What’s Next?
The next big step for Cole Mize is monetizing his business. Right now, all of his YouTube videos are free, but he plans on creating longer, paid tutorials for his followers in the future. No matter what type of content he delivers, Cole’s focus will always be on his audience. His best advice for other small business owners? “If you want a following, you have to add value. It can’t be about you, it has to be about your audience. Your business is nothing without people.”
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