Key takeaways
Selena Gomez’s album launch showcases how TikTok can be utilized to create a viral music marketing campaign that engages followers, drives downloads, and amplifies visibility.
The marketing campaign leaned into creator partnerships and fan-driven content material, guaranteeing the promotion felt natural and culturally related.
Selena and Benny Blanco tapped into TikTok’s instruments like Fan Highlight, interactive challenges, and TikTok Store to construct anticipation and supply unique content material.
The usage of TikTok tendencies, user-generated content material, and interactive experiences fueled the viral success of the marketing campaign, turning the album right into a cultural second.
This marketing campaign reveals how good social media advertising and marketing within the music business can break by means of the noise and create significant connections with youthful, mobile-first audiences.
Selena Gomez’s album, I Stated I Love You First, was launched to a lot anticipation, and whereas Gomez’s recognition alone might have ensured a profitable launch, it was the ability of TikTok that actually amplified the second.
Her partnership with Benny Blanco on their collaborative album wasn’t only a musical endeavor—it was a masterclass in music advertising and marketing within the age of short-form video. By tapping into TikTok’s viral ecosystem, Gomez’ group used TikTok’s options strategically to interact followers, create buzz, and, finally, drive downloads.
Fairly than counting on conventional promotional instruments or ready for the algorithm to do its work, Gomez and Blanco designed a creator-driven, interactive marketing campaign that gave followers not solely the prospect to pay attention however the alternative to interact and take part.
Right here’s a breakdown of how they efficiently leveraged TikTok’s energy to show an album launch right into a viral cultural occasion.
The Objective: Participating Gen Z and Driving Downloads
Selena Gomez’s TikTok technique aimed to do rather more than generate consciousness. The target was clear: interact Gen Z audiences, particularly between the ages of 18–24, and convert that engagement into actual downloads.
As TikTok’s affect in music advertising and marketing grows, leveraging the platform’s natural virality has change into a should for any main album launch. Gomez didn’t simply need followers to stream her album; she wished them to change into a part of the dialog, work together together with her music in new methods, and finally drive album downloads.
TikTok’s tradition of user-generated content material was the proper match for this objective. The marketing campaign wasn’t merely about showcasing her new tracks—it was about making the followers really feel concerned, letting them create their very own moments across the music, and amplifying the album’s cultural presence.
The Technique: Tapping into TikTok’s Artistic Options
The important thing to success lay in Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s use of TikTok’s native options, which made the marketing campaign really feel genuine to the platform. As an alternative of sticking to conventional promotional methods, the pair relied on TikTok’s interactive parts to encourage fan participation and provides their followers a chance to interact in enjoyable and artistic methods.
Fan Highlight and Interactive Challenges: By leveraging TikTok’s Fan Highlight characteristic, Selena invited followers to make use of the hashtag #ISaidILoveYouFirst and put up their very own artistic interpretations of the music. Fan content material turned a part of the narrative, with these creating the most effective interpretations incomes spots within the Fan Highlight, reaching a broader viewers.
@cost_n_mayor on repeat rn @Selena Gomez ♬ Bluest Flame – Selena Gomez & benny blanco
Unique Content material and Gamification: To additional construct pleasure, the marketing campaign included unique content material—followers might unlock sneak peeks, similar to unreleased songs and music movies, by means of participation in challenges. This interactive strategy not solely fueled the anticipation for the album but additionally tied into TikTok’s growing give attention to social commerce. Followers who participated might additionally earn album-themed profile frames and even get entry to official merch by means of TikTok Store, including a layer of unique rewards to the marketing campaign.
Leveraging Tendencies for Viral Attain: Selena and Benny Blanco’s TikTok account didn’t shrink back from hijacking trending codecs and utilizing platform-native content material to succeed in customers organically. From make-up transformation movies to musical play-along clips, they leaned into the lo-fi aesthetic that resonates with TikTok’s consumer base. Every video felt native to the platform slightly than like a sophisticated commercial, which helped it mix seamlessly into customers’ feeds and boosted engagement.
Execution: Constructing Hype, Want, and Discoverability
The marketing campaign unfolded in three phases, every designed to construct momentum towards the last word album launch:
Part 1 – Constructing Hype
This part was about making a buzz and grabbing consideration. The album announcement video featured a daring, artistic strategy that mixed private moments with playful, offbeat content material. With 24.4 million views and three million likes, the announcement set the stage for what would observe.
@selenagomez I Stated I Love You First is out now 🖤 Our love is now yours. P.S. Youthful And Hotter Than Me music video out now too. #ISaidILoveYouFirst #YoungerAndHotterThanMe ♬ Youthful And Hotter Than Me – Selena Gomez & benny blanco
Part 2 – Creating Want
The second part leaned into the ability of TikTok tendencies, displaying Selena and Benny in enjoyable, relatable situations—similar to a clip the place Benny did Selena’s make-up whereas enjoying the observe “Name Me When You Break Up”. The video additionally featured a aspect collaboration with Uncommon Magnificence. This video generated 52.9 million views and 5.2 million likes, capturing the enjoyable and quirky nature of TikTok content material.
@selenagomez Letting my fiancé do my make-up utilizing @Uncommon Magnificence ♥️ @benny blanco ♬ Name Me When You Break Up – Selena Gomez & benny blanco & Gracie Abrams
Part 3 – Driving Discoverability
Because the album neared launch, engagement continued to develop, with 31.6 million views on a video of Selena singing alongside to the observe “Name Me When You Break Up.” The music video for “Sundown Blvd” additionally drove pleasure, with 3.4 million views in underneath per week, additional demonstrating how TikTok might hold the marketing campaign’s momentum going proper as much as the album’s launch.
@vevo Just a bit bed room music sesh with @Selena Gomez and @benny blanco #VevoExtendedPlay #ISaidILoveYouFirst #SunsetBlvd ♬ authentic sound – Vevo
The Numbers – A Viral Success
The TikTok marketing campaign for I Stated I Love You First has achieved exceptional success, making a viral sensation that not solely generated large views but additionally engaged Selena Gomez’s followers in a significant means:
24.4 million views and three million likes on the album announcement video
52.9 million views and 5.2 million likes on a enjoyable clip the place Benny Blanco does Selena’s make-up whereas enjoying “Name Me When You Break Up”
31.6 million views and 4 million likes on a video of Selena singing alongside to the observe “Name Me When You Break Up”
3.4 million views and 300K likes on a put up selling the “Sundown Blvd” music video in lower than per week
These spectacular metrics mirror the success of TikTok’s function in amplifying Selena’s album launch and driving fan engagement. Whereas Selena Gomez’s star energy actually performed a task, it was the platform fluency, creator engagement, and interactive technique that allowed the marketing campaign to go viral.
Why This Marketing campaign Labored
Selena Gomez’s TikTok technique labored as a result of it embraced TikTok’s distinctive tradition slightly than trying to power a standard advertising and marketing strategy onto the platform. By leaning into TikTok’s native options—similar to Fan Highlight, interactive challenges, and user-generated content material—Gomez and Blanco created an genuine, natural marketing campaign that resonated deeply with their Gen Z viewers.
TikTok customers don’t wish to see polished adverts; they need content material that feels actual and genuine, and this marketing campaign delivered simply that.
By constructing a story the place followers might straight take part and contribute to the marketing campaign, Selena Gomez didn’t simply promote an album—she made her viewers really feel like lively contributors to its success.
The usage of TikTok tendencies, creator engagement, and platform-native content material ensured the marketing campaign felt natural and pure to customers, boosting the general engagement and visibility of the album.
How Selena Gomez’s TikTok Technique Redefined Music Advertising and marketing
Selena Gomez’s TikTok marketing campaign for I Stated I Love You First reveals simply how highly effective the platform may be when used strategically. With creator-led content material, engagement-driven campaigns, and unique fan experiences, the album’s launch not solely amplified her attain but additionally set a brand new benchmark for music advertising and marketing within the social media age.
TikTok isn’t only a place to advertise—it’s a spot to construct communities, spark tendencies, and drive actual gross sales.
For entrepreneurs, artists, and types trying to interact Gen Z, Gomez’s TikTok technique is a case research in use social media to create cultural moments and join with the viewers in ways in which drive outcomes.
