You might know them because of their massive fan following that’s active on all social media platforms. Or you might be guilty of bopping along to Dynamite while you run errands or do the laundry.
At this point, you don’t even have to sign up for voice lessons or join your local dance crew to know about BTS. But you might have wondered why people of all ages are falling for the seven-piece ensemble.
The group has always been genuine with the message their songs share. And while they may look like polished porcelain dolls at first glance, they’re not afraid to be loud and goof off. Adding to all that, they embraced social media and digital culture when the rest of their industry was just testing the waters.
Strong Social Media Presence
BTS already had an impressive following before May 2017. But it wasn’t until they won Top Social Artist at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards that they gained a significant edge in the Korean pop industry. The septet was finally being recognized, seen, and heard by the tough-to-crack Western music industry.
The group’s Twitter account is a major contributor to that first BBMAs Top Social Artist win that paved the way for greater success. Like most people in their age group, the seven members of BTS enjoy scrolling their timelines and sharing snippets of their day online. Their playful banter with each other and their refreshing interaction with fans unknowingly became the foundations of a force to be reckoned with.
The leader of the group RM also said they got lucky with their timing. They started being active on Twitter and the livestream service V-Live, which was launched in 2014, pretty early on. And because they’ve been quite active from the very start, their social media skills developed quite naturally.
It also helps that their label took a hands-off approach to the group’s shared Twitter profile, opting instead to post official news and content on the label’s own social media and the group’s official account.
Continuous Digital Innovation
The Bangtan Boys celebrated their 7th anniversary last June. But they’ve been in front of cameras a little bit longer than that. They’ve been recording vlogs since six months before their debut. Seven years later, they continue to participate in live video streams where they catch up with fans in a less guarded manner.
BTS was supposed to go on tour last April but the pandemic put a stop to those plans. They didn’t let that stop them, though. Once again, the septet used digital technology to their advantage. They tested the waters with the Bang Bang Con: The Live virtual concert last June. And when they saw that it was a success, they started planning for the virtual version of what was supposed to be their world tour.
The result was a mesmerizing Map of the Soul ON:E virtual concert with visually stunning set design and performances that appealed to all senses. They even got hundrerds of ARMYs to “join them” at the venue through a live broadcast of the diverse faces from different places, shown on large panel screens.
Seeing as there probably won’t be live performances and concerts in the near future, BTS can consider themselves lucky for knowing social media and digital technology like the back of their hand.