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For Years, Marketers Urged Artists to Post More on TikTok— Now, They’re Turning to Fans

Instead of posting on TikTok themselves, artists are hosting small, in-person events — and encouraging fans to spread the experience to millions.

Alex Warren did it with his London tube station pop-up in March; Charli xcx did it with her Brat wall and Boiler Room underplays last summer; Bon Iver did it with a basketball tournament in April; and the All-American Rejects did it with their mega-viral house party tour this spring, which has helped to propel their comeback. “But in the last eight to 12 months, it’s really started to rally quite considerably.” Experts attribute the trend to the post-pandemic itch to get back outside, the shift in social media platforms toward “For You” pages (helping average users go viral much more easily) — and the lauded marketing campaign for Charli xcx’s Brat. As word spread about the Rejects’ house party tour, she began working with the popular startup Cobrand to send out text blasts direct to fans, catalog every piece of UGC made, track pre-saves on Spotify, and more — all in one dashboard.

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