Got to admit it, I get a kick out of “Damn Daniel.” First, it’s funny. Second, it’s catchy– you can’t get the “damn” thing out of your head. Third, these kids are smart, or at least have the gut instinct to figure out what works for building a brand in social media.
If you missed it, “Daaaaammmmn Daniel” was yesterday’s internet sensation. Nothing more than a simple Snapchat post by 15-year-old Josh Holz of his 14-year-old friend Daniel Lara sporting the latest looks, anchored by the always fashionable white Vans. It has become the latest social sensation. In fact, maybe the biggest one since the Oreo “Dunk in the Dark” Super Bowl tweet. The “Damn Daniel” post went viral in February, getting more than 50 million views in a matter of days.
Haven’t seen it? Here’s the original “Damn Daniel” post from Josh, that now has 450,000+ likes and 350,000 retweets!
Thanks to Ellen, I caught a YouTube interview with the kids behind “Damn Daniel.” What I learned made total sense in social media brand building.
Here are 3 tips from Josh and Daniel that should be considered by every social media, brand-building campaign.
1) Be Spontaneous. Did these dudes practice saying, “Daaaaaammmn Daniel” 100 times before posting their first Snapchat story? Nope, it just happened. And people liked it. They thought it was funny. So they made more, giving the audience what they wanted.
2) Listen to Feedback. What spurred them to create more “Damn Daniel” posts? They got feedback that their Snapstory was funny. “We had some Snapchats back from people saying ‘Yo, this is funny. Keep it going.’ So we started to do it on a daily basis,” Daniel explained. Simple enough to do, without a huge marketing budget.
That’s a point worth repeating. Keep doing what the audience wants and asks for. And do it right away. Don’t plan it to death. These kids knew to start posting every day, at the same time (sixth period). The rest is social history, Dammmmmn Daniel!
3) Track the Metrics. “I went to the mall and wanted to see if people would recognize me a little. Ended up taking 15 or 10 photos of people. That’s when I realized this was pretty big. Then next day I went out to Fullerton (California) for a swim meet and took 30 or 40 photos there and that’s when I realized this is crazy!” These guys knew it was growing by watching the KPIs. How many people recognized them. So, when they sensed the metrics told them their posts were gaining traction, they kept it going, keeping it fresh and fun.
Bonus tip: White Vans go with everything
For their efforts, Vans gave Daniel a lifetime supply of kicks. And Josh. He wasn’t left out. Ellen gave him a one-of-a-kind surfboard with the words, “Damn Daniel, I was on Ellen!” boldly printed on the bottom.
The rest of us. We got schooled on social media brand building, by two California teens. Daaammmmn, Daniel!