Rappers ruined MySpace.
I know this because I was part of the problem.
Using social media effectively requires practice and knowledge just like everything else, but learning to use it can help you maintain relationships and learn about your fans in ways that were previously unavailable.
Thanks to Scott Stratten of @unmarketing for a few tips that can help us all.
Tell us about your new book The Book of Business Awesome/The Book of Business UnAwesome. What can we expect and when can we get our hands on a copy?
August 21st! It’s a flip book, one side is the Book Of Business Awesome and flip it upside down and it’s the Book Of Business UnAwesome. All stories of how businesses are doing it right and wrong from marketing/HR/customer service and social media stand points.
I loved your quote “Social media is not about being everywhere, it is about being great and present where you are.” A lot of artists seem to take a “quantity over quality” approach to using social media. What tips do you have for local artists looking to expand their fan base and use social media as efficiently as possible?
There is far too much pressure to be everywhere these days digitally. Bands need QR codes on posters and CD’s when the reality is they may not even need the posters or CD’s themselves. I know QR codes aren’t social media, but it’s the same issue over on social sites. Bands go there because they’re told they can be there, not whether or not they should under their own unique circumstances. Pick a platform and be awesome on it. Maybe that’s YouTube which isn’t inherently a social media site, or maybe it’s still MySpace. Twitter works for your attention span? Then give er! Find out where your fans are most talking about you, or where you want them to talk about you and get engaged.
What musicians have you seen use social media well, and what have they done to be successful?
Boyce Avenue are amazing on YouTube, that’s not because they’re social, but they’ve mastered YouTube cover tune videos and have made the purchasing process seamless. Most musicians use social media as megaphones instead of conversations. You’re not going to get much out of Twitter if all you do is dictate.
If you had to name a couple things for people to add on their “DO NOT DO LIST” while promoting an upcoming project, what would you have them add?
This happens every week to me. Some artist/band/DJ adds people with big followings to a tweet that says something like “NEW TUNE COMING OUT NEXT WEEK!!! ZOMG!! RETWEET PLEASE! @UNMARKETING” adding my name doesn’t get me interested in your music, it makes me want to punch you in the MP3 and report you for spam. So my list for artists:
1. NEVER USE ALL CAPS UNLESS YOU’RE GIVING BIRTH.
2. Don’t add people to a tweet so they’ll see it.
3. Stop inviting untargeted people to shows 5,000 miles away on Facebook.
4. Give before take. You have to build up your social currency before you ask for things.
What is the best low-budget marketing campaign you have seen in the last couple of years?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9NF2edxy-M End of story. And they’re from the town next to me.
What do you do when promoting your book tours, and how can artists apply the same principles to their tours?
I only go where people are willing to have me. I don’t pick a city then try to get people to come, I pick a city because people are coming. Every book tour stop is decided by the city themselves. They have to fly me there, put me up and order a few hundred books. It won’t work exactly like that for most bands, but there are certainly some versions that could work.
There are a lot of services now that allow people to purchase likes, followers and YouTube views. Is there a way to use these types of services efficiently?
Never. Ever. Just don’t.
Did you watch Dark Knight Rises yet? If so, what did you think? If not, why not?
Bane haunts my dreams. He is my sleep reckoning.