The Art of Viral Marketing

The landscape of social media marketing offers limitless possibilities, and recent alumnus Timothy Custer is eager to continue exploring and learning in this rapidly evolving field. Social media technologies offer a novel way to engage and interact with people and customers globally, as they provide opportunities to solve human problems and market novel products.  

Initially, Custer’s foray into the world of social media seemed trivial—a lighthearted attempt to entertain friends and meet new people in high school. However, as the new Web 3.0 digital economy emerged, his interests and ideas expanded dramatically. What began as a joke swiftly became a serious pursuit. Custer has cultivated an extensive online presence and social media following, which he has developed into a business with more than 1.3 million Instagram followers. He has made connections with a number of up-and-coming musicians and noteworthy influencers. “Interacting with my followers and witnessing the positive impact, even through simple memes or message responses, became deeply meaningful,” he explains. “As someone who struggled to connect socially, especially during high school, knowing that I could bring joy to people worldwide gave me satisfaction.”  

Custer’s journey has taken him from valleys of uncertainty to summits of self-discovery. His path through James Madison University was an unconventional one, shaped by his experiences as a Valley Scholar and ultimately leading him to the Independent Scholars major. The Valley Scholars program identifies and supports students who demonstrate academic potential and motivation but may face barriers to accessing higher education due to financial constraints or other challenges. The program, led by JMU’s Executive Director of First-Generation Student Success Shaun Mooney and Valley Scholars Director Joshua Montanez, seeks to empower these students to achieve their academic and career goals through various initiatives, including summer enrichment programs, academic mentoring and advising, and financial aid planning. From an early age, the Valley Scholars program exposed Custer to the breadth of opportunities at JMU through monthly meetings, campus visits, and community service projects. This early exposure to college life presented him with a dazzling array of opportunities and choices. 

Timothy’s college journey hit one of its lowest points during the COVID-19 pandemic. Isolation from friends and transition to virtual classes took a significant toll on him. This difficult period forced him to re-evaluate his previous definitions of success that revolved around securing a good job and checking off traditional life milestones. “Despite facing some darker moments, I persevered and found inspiration to continue my academic journey,” Custer remembers. “A conversation with Dr. Frana at just the right moment redirected my path—which might have led to dropping out—toward the Independent Scholars program, a decision I do not regret.” 

The Independent Scholars program made it possible for Timothy to explore unique perspectives, build new connections, and discover new ways to explore the digital social media landscape. “Independent Scholars was an opportunity for Tim to define his educational pathway. Joining Independent Scholars fed his curiosity and creativity,” recalls Shaun Mooney. “His faculty and friends could see the passion ignite for learning as he explored a pathway to a degree on his own terms.” JMU’s classes in other departments provided Timothy with intellectual tools to understand the mechanics of social media and marketing. His pursuit of an individualized major enabled him to take courses he was genuinely interested in. “This program has enabled me to truly engage with my education,” he says. “No longer feeling coerced into classes for the sake of requirements, I pursued courses that fulfilled my interests and blended them with exploratory classes. This ensured that my academic journey was driven by passion.”  

Custer has cultivated invaluable skills, nurtured connections with renowned musicians and brands, and mastered professional client relationship building by drawing from both personal experiences and classes at JMU. In Marketing 410, Custer delved deeper into social media marketing techniques. With previous classes in digital marketing and search engine optimization, he aimed to leverage his knowledge and connections to excel as a social media professional. The marketing class covered the foundations of social media—including the most popular platforms— when and how to use each effectively, and the social psychology behind interactions within and across social media platforms.  

Some of the most profound lessons, connections, and opportunities came from his first-hand experiences. Custer describes the key themes of his journey as involving grit, individuality, authenticity, and the use of online platforms to forge personal connections and locate professional opportunities. “Through ups and downs, my online presence has evolved alongside me, transforming from a casual pastime to a part-time job managing multiple accounts and millions of followers,” he explains. “I’ve learned invaluable lessons about social media, cultivated connections with influential figures, and expanded my horizons through unique experiences and friendships.”  

“Tim’s ability to maintain a sense of selflessness and care for others speaks volumes about his character,” says his Independent Scholars advisor Philip Frana. “His commitment to providing real and valued service to his social media clients ensures that his freelance work remains grounded in a genuine desire to make positive contributions to the life and work of other people. And his involvement in various commercial ventures and internships has equipped him with a diverse skill set. The promotional work he undertook for Bbno$ and Yung Gravy, as well as their label, is particularly noteworthy.” 

Says Custer, “I am keen on learning how to effectively market, analyze, and utilize social media platforms to my advantage. Currently, I manage nine large Instagram accounts, each boasting between 150,000 and 500,000 followers. Each of these pages serve as ‘theme pages’ rather than personal representations.” A theme page on Instagram or YouTube refers to an account or channel that revolves around a specific topic or concept.  

In social media marketing, various disciplines come into play, including marketing, business, software engineering, data analytics, and sociology. Companies like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube employ data scientists to develop algorithms aimed at maximizing user engagement, which in turn attracts advertisers seeking increased interactions with potential customers. Understanding human behavior is critical for effective social media marketing, as it allows companies to understand what people want to see and why they engage with certain content. The so-called “attention economy” underscores the competition among businesses for consumer attention. With platforms like TikTok vying for users’ time against competitors such as Instagram, the challenge lies in capturing and retaining audience interest given countless other distractions. 

“Creating welcoming online communities is essential for fostering meaningful discussions and sustaining engagement,” explains Custer. “Authenticity plays a pivotal role in how individuals perceive online personalities and brands. Understanding the dynamics of online communities and the nuances of authenticity are vital for successful social media marketing.” In his pursuit of knowledge and skills in social media marketing, Custer aims to explore various strategies and experiment with different approaches.  

By drawing insights from successful artists and employing innovative marketing techniques, he aims to improve access to the modern digital soundscape. “Drawing inspiration from artists like Bbno$, Kanye West, Young Martyr, 070Shake, and numerous others, I am working on creating new marketing strategies and approaches,” Custer says. “In today’s world, you don’t necessarily need a label or music group to gain popularity and admiration. Instead, achieving recognition means capturing people’s attention directly. My objective is to discover the most effective ways to achieve this.” 

Another key realization for Custer was the need to live more authentically and appreciate each moment, rather than just going through the motions of college life. “I like to remind myself that everything starts from a conversation,” he says. “When I look back, I can often pinpoint a moment when a conversation led to an opportunity that ultimately changed the course of my life.”  

Today, Custer seeks to develop an online personality that is closely aligned with his personal and professional values. He aspires to transition his focus to YouTube in the future and potentially build a brand around himself on an important theme that is meaningful to him, possibly in the education industry. He is mindful of the dangers of becoming preoccupied with traditional definitions of success derived from wealth or status symbols, and draws wisdom from the realization that many people do not discover success in their chosen paths until very late in life. For Timothy, creating social media content that positively impacts people’s emotional well-being has become more fulfilling than chasing money or fame. He has also learned not to worry so much about finding his singular life ‘purpose,’ and instead embraces the exciting adventures that lie ahead.