What content creators can learn from The Killers

Wearing my social media hat, on Wednesday night The Killers gave us an object lesson in community management and maximising 'moments'.

BBC: The Killers give England fans euphoric night at O2

The American band were playing to a packed crowd at London's O2 Arena at the same time as England's Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands. Mid-gig, they stopped, switched the big screens over to the game, and watched the closing moments with the crowd as England sealed a place in Sunday's final.

As the final whistle blew, they launched straight into Mr Brightside. Lyrics such as "destiny is calling me" and "I just can't look, it's killing me" will have resonated doubly with the lived experience of football fans up and down the country.

It was one of those experiences that the 20,000 people inside the O2 will remember forever: a significant sporting event blending into an iconic song to create a shared moment that immediately went viral on social media.

Lessons for content creators

The Killers' role in this is significant and is a perfect demonstration of a content creator who is entirely in tune with their audience.

Remember, they're American, not English: as far as the football was concerned, they didn't have a dog in this fight. But they were aware that many of their fans had sacrificed watching the game for this, and it created the perfect opportunity to plan for a possible viral moment:

• A willingness to change the order of their setlist (their content calendar, if you will) to seize the moment.
• Being prepared to react to an uncertain event with uncertain timing - this wasn't a spontaneous act, it was planned just in case England did win.
• Seizing the moment in an authentic way. The band didn't just walk off stage, they shared the moment with the crowd, and then they connected the euphoria of England's win not with empty platitudes but by celebrating by playing their own euphoric anthem.
• Fans at gigs are always shooting video on their phones. This was a moment for the people in the arena, but the band would have known this would go viral. It's rare that you can plan in advance for a viral moment - but this was one such occasion.

I watched videos of this taken by people in the audience and it made the hairs on my arms stand on end. I can only imagine what it was like to experience live. But I'll tell you this for sure: The Killers gave 20,000 of their most dedicated English fans a special moment to repay them for their love, and through social media they welcomed millions around the world into their community. If that isn't great content and community management, I don't know what is.

Me? I'm now campaigning for Mr Brightside to replace Three Lions as the new unofficial Enland football anthem. ??