Becoming the Beyoncé of Business

“I dream it, I work hard, I grind ’til I own it” – Beyoncé, Lemonade

 

How do you become the Beyoncé of business?

Step One: Be Flawless.

Sadly it isn’t that easy. Even Beyoncé has been cultivating her brand and image for more than a decade. Still, 100 million records as a solo artist, 22 Grammy Awards and the honor of being the most nominated woman in Grammy history? That’s not bad for a decade of work. Everything the singer does is carefully considered and the result of very strategic planning.

So, how can you slay a little more in your everyday business? Here are three things we’ve learned from the Queen Bey.

Control Your Information

Beyoncé is a master of control when it comes to the way information about her public and professional life is disseminated. Timing is everything in an impactful message. It’s also multifaceted. You must pick the right time, yes. You must also create the conversation by teasing, hinting and drawing people into conversation (but in the way you decide).

Fans know that milestone updates on her life will come in pretty packaged announcements, typically via social media. The art of the reveal has worked perfectly for Beyoncé time and time again. She waits for the suspense to build, for rumours to fly (or “buzz”) and then wipes it all away with powerful but simple announcement. This same tactic has worked for everything from albums to babies. In the case of the album Lemonade, she stirred up talk herself by posting clues well in advance. Lemon pictures on Instagram a year in advance of the album were one such clue. When the album dropped, fans “lost their minds.”

Choose a Message – Stick to It

Empowerment has been the Queen’s message from day one. Even before Beyoncé was solo, she was singing about being a Survivor with Destiny’s Child. Every video, song, photo and social media campaign has delivered a simple message: “you can do this.” Single Ladies, Run the World, and Formation are just a few of the anthems of female strength. Over many years, Beyoncé has fine tuned and touted this message. It is clear who she is talking to when she sings.

The people buying into her brand message are everyone in her target audience. More than that, she has turned her message into a brand. The target marketing has coalesced into something even more amazing: The Beyhive. Devoted fans, who hang on Beyoncé’s every word, drive the buzz and even defend her on social media. They are very nearly the physical representation of a successful brand message.

It takes a Team

There’s a saying that can be found on mugs and shirts and other merchandise: “You have the same number of hours in a day as Beyoncé.” It’s a nice phrase, but it’s also a bit untrue. Sure Beyoncé is a single person, but the brand of BEYONCÉ is many people. Parkwood Entertainment allows Beyoncé to be a powerhouse and her own empire. The team of more than fifty people does everything from music and video production to marketing. On top of this, there are stylists and makeup artists and assistants who are all tasked with one goal: flawlessness.

There’s more to success than having a large team though. Each and every one of the employees knows how to keep a secret…or we can at least guess that they do. With all of the moving pieces required to pull off a top secret album drop, it would be easy for the word to get out. A trustworthy, capable team makes sure the secret stays secret.

All hail the Queen. The entrepreneur, entertainer and activist has built a brand that is recognized by fans globally. Her successes have impacted industry standards for musicians, influencing how they build brands themselves and deliver their music. All of this is to say that Beyoncé has pushed the boundaries to regularly surprise and delight her customers. Or, as the hive would say, “She is the queen – who doesn’t love Beyoncé? She is inspirational, she’s awesome, she doesn’t care what anyone thinks.”

So when you’re ready to tackle a business strategy that helps you run your world, put on a track and make like Beyoncé.