Earlier this week, Lil Wayne was allegedly kicked out of an NBA game. Lil Wayne, a.k.a. Weezy, tweeted “So I’m @ da Heat game right, rootin 4 da Lakers kuz dats my team & would u believe they got police 2 make me leave?! Wow! F#€k da Heat.” It received 25,318 retweets.

Weezy’s social media presence is noticeable (he has 10 million Twitter followers), but how did he get there? Fan appreciation. He has used old-school communication and he hired a social guru to propel himself, his brand and show his fans he cares. Here are two fan appreciation tactics to note.

Create a sense of a personal relationship with fans.

While Lil Wayne was in jail in 2010, he released his address to fans. Nearly one million loyal, supporting fans sent letters. (In fact, he eventually had to ask his fans to stop sending mail.)

“When I read those letters, that fan mail, and see what they say about what my music does for them, and how it helped them through situations … to read that, that makes me take my words and my whole outlook on what I’m doing a lot more seriously,” Lil Wayne told Kevin Manno, host of MTV show “The Seven.”

Lil Wayne expressed his appreciation by writing personal “thank yous” to individuals on his blog Weezythanxyou.com.

Going the extra mile by directly reaching out to fans lets them know they are more than a “like.” Any brand can listen and reveal online, but the key to forging and maintaining relationships with your consumers is understanding.

Hire an effective Facebook manager

If you were wondering who holds the Guinness World Record for the Most Liked Facebook Status in 24 Hours, it’s Lil Wayne.

True, Oreo was first to call on their fans to set the record, but Weezy won. Within the same 24-hour period, Lil Wayne racked up 588,243 likes while Oreo received 114,619 likes.

Mazy Kazerooni is the social mastermind behind Lil Wayne’s digital presence. Kazerooni reclaimed and grew Lil Wayne’s Facebook page from 1 million fans to more than 38 million.

Setting the record was never about winning, but illustrated the expansive power and fierce loyalty of Lil Wayne’s fan base.

Effective community managers like Kazerooni does more than give fans the power to be advocates. They IGNITE the positive conversations! Throw fuel on your GOOD “fires” and let them spread.

Photo credit: Weezythanxyou.com