Social Media

Social Media

Instant, interactive, free and visual communication - this is the move the web and mobile
technology have taken the world by storm, inside and outside the office.

MySpace was one of the first successful social media websites created for musicians to use.
It is a marketing tool for artists to upload their photos, songs, performance dates and videos.
The site allows for their fanbase to access and communicate directly with the artist. Whether
famous or non-famous, it is free to sign up and publicise, or alternatively join as a fan and
follow your favourite upcoming band or superstar female singer.

MySpace set the bar before Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Reverbnation, Last FM, TheSixtyOne,
Zune, MTV and Spotify. Facebook took MySpace to the next level making social media clever
and funky. YouTube now pays artist royalties promoting their video footage. Twitter posts
short status updates to the media sites by the user. Reverbnation manages your fanbase. LAST
FM, allows users and artists to share playlists and create their own radio from their iTunes
and other software players. TheSixtyOne is a rate and slate promotional site - if the artist
is `bumped' enough, they will reach the front page for full exposure. Zune is the Microsoft
version similar to MySpace and iTunes, whereas MTV an alternate method like Facebook.
Spotify is a digital music library of millions of songs which you have to pay a subscription for.

So much choice, so little time. But that is the beauty of most of these social sites. Most are
free, most of them interlink into each other - so less work for the administrator. With one
status on Facebook, all the other media sites can be updated, therefore avoiding duplication
and wasting time. The reason why it is good for a band or solo artist to be on the top rated
ones, is because there are different types of users (customers) on all of them. Each customer
has their own type of way that they like to keep in the loop with the music world. For users
that like an email, they'll choose Reverbnation. For users that like a short updates they'll be
using Twitter, for music industry scouts - most use MySpace for original music. Facebook is
the most used but not everyone has a personal profile, so that they can keep their private life
private.

The danger of social media lies also within the ease, speed and accessibility of exposure.
There are more cases of songs and albums being illegally released as well as stolen before
the promotional date. Scandalous pictures and videos are sent faster than SMS through file
downloads and sharing. For bad press it is not a good idea to have anything accessible online if
you are a famous male or female singer with some naughty moments with your partner. Burn
the tape, delete the file - before there's a break-up or hacker breaking-in!

90% of major superstar do not manage their own websites or status updates - it is controlled
by a their press agent instead. Looking For Musicians, at the top of the ladder, are way too
busy for media. They have songs to write, videos to produce and multi-million dollar contracts
to sign. However, budding songwriters, breaking through will need to keep up to the Jones's
and manage this themselves, until they have a press team, record label and bling pen to sign a
world-wide 360degree touring deal.

Keep your information and sites clean. Do not over promote other artists on your sites, unless
you are on the same bill as them and they happen to be famous. Once in a while it is good to
do a shout out for someone else, but in general concentrate on your career. Delete all spam
and any derogatory comments that lead to bad press, like `fancy a date?'. Do not respond, just
delete. If this person become persistent, give them one warning, thereafter ban, report and
delete the user. Keep the good, delete the nonsense. Make sure your timing is good. Promote
the gig, give status updates about the sound-check, then a little something about the gig - and
when you have the photos and videos - load them up and blog about it.

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Create a buzz - use the social media sites to lift your career, to help you reach more fans. If
your fan likes you so much, they will recommend you. Now imagine if a hundred fans talk about
you (who live all over the world) and recommend you. Before you know it, your show will be
sold out and you will have lump sum of royalties coming in from digital and CD sales. Think,
worldwide reach, think social media.

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