I worked for Beyoncé for a year. She wasn't a diva and wasn't passive — it was a master class in digital strategy

• Marcus Collins shares the major lessons he learned helping Beyoncé to bring her fan base online.
• Collins said Beyoncé's platforms didn't perform as well as expected in the beginning.
• One lesson was the importance of facilitating an existing community instead of building a new one.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Marcus Collins, author, and professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. It has been edited for length and clarity.