Nailing Down The Proper Use Of MySpace
I'm not a handyman but I know one thing about tools: When used properly, they achieve the intended results.
Unfortunately, most tools are not used properly.
Have you ever used a screwdriver to remove a nail instead of a hammer? Sure it can be done, but with much more effort and greater difficulty.
Most people wouldn't consider taking a class on how to properly use a hammer.
After all, there's nothing complex about it, right? You would think that you can properly use a hammer just by looking at it, but can you get the maximum benefits from it? If you think using a hammer is as simple as it seems, compare the way you use a hammer with the way a carpenter does.
A carpenter knows how to hold and safely use a hammer; the ways in which to strike a nail with a hammer for easiest insertion; and the different uses of the various types of a hammers.
The music artists who are getting the maximum benefits out of MySpace are the ones who use this valuable, marketing and communication tool like a carpenter uses a hammer.
Listed below are helpful tips that will help music artists take full advantage of the marketing, promotional, and publicity opportunities available through the proper use of a MySpace page.
1.
) BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY: The purpose of adding friends is to assemble a pool of potential supporters.
If you have 100 or 10,000 friends, it doesn't matter if only 12 of them regularly come to your shows.
Those 12 - no matter how enthusiastic - can't support you.
It's a good start, but it's the other 9,888 that can really support you (or help you get your own reality tv show).
So how do you build a community of friends that will support your career? By endearing yourself to them - off line.
It's ironic, isn't it.
But you have to make your music play a role in peoples' lives.
You, and your music, have to represent an experience that people want to be a part of.
I'm not just talking about shows either.
I'm talking about meet-and-greets, listening parties, and any events to further promote your brand or the causes that you and your fans believe in.
This includes social events, fundraisers, protests, etc.
Anything that brings your people together in the real world is a good PR move for you.
2.
) ESTABLISH YOUR CREDIBILITY: Change the settings on your comments page to only be shown with your approval.
This will stop stupid comments and advertisements from being posted without your knowledge or consent.
Ideally, all of the comments about you on your page should testify to how awesome you are as an artist and how much people enjoy your music or performances.
Anything else (even if it's a message accompanied by a scantily clad babe or cute guy) doesn't do anything for you so delete them...
unless they are singing your praises of course.
All of your public comments should paint a positive picture of you that makes you look like someone worth getting to know.
3.
) DOCUMENT YOUR STORY: Your MySpace page should tell your story of success (or evolving success).
Your story should provide the visitor with brief and accurate biographical information such as where you are located, how you got started, what your goals are, and any details about your upcoming shows, activities, or events.
Not your whole life story.
Save that for a page on Wikipedia.
Just include short, succinct paragraphs with factual information - not hype.
This is good for the media, industry professionals and fans; let them do the hyping for you.
4.
) GIVE THEM A REASON TO RETURN: According to Mashable.
com, the leading website that reports on social networking news and statistics, people spend more time looking at pictures and reading blogs on MySpace than they do listening to music (which is why they improved their "photo album" features).
Give your fans motivation to return to your page by frequently adding or changing your pictures and blogs.
Remember that both your blogs and your photos form perceptions about you.
What impressions would your visitors walk away with if they visited your page right now? 5.
) BUILD A USER FRIENDLY WEB PAGE: Professionals won't spend 4 minutes waiting for your page to load in.
4 minutes is long enough for Justin Timberlake and Madonna to save the world, but it's too much time for your page to load in.
Your page will load in faster if you remove busy backgrounds, huge graphics, excessive photos, too many animated gifs, and multiple embedded videos.
The minimal approach to embellishing your page works (and loads in) best.
One video (that you want people to focus on) and a link to all of your videos on You Tube is the best way to go.
With regard to your music, put your best foot (and your best song) forward by placing it first on your playlist.
A random sampling of pages shows that the songs with the most number of plays are usually listed first, or have been posted on your site the longest.
We (the public) are only concerned with your hottest tracks, and your latest tracks.
Your page should represent a nice balance between the two.
Using these tips will help you nail down the proper use of MySpace so that you can do more meaningful networking.
Good luck!
Unfortunately, most tools are not used properly.
Have you ever used a screwdriver to remove a nail instead of a hammer? Sure it can be done, but with much more effort and greater difficulty.
Most people wouldn't consider taking a class on how to properly use a hammer.
After all, there's nothing complex about it, right? You would think that you can properly use a hammer just by looking at it, but can you get the maximum benefits from it? If you think using a hammer is as simple as it seems, compare the way you use a hammer with the way a carpenter does.
A carpenter knows how to hold and safely use a hammer; the ways in which to strike a nail with a hammer for easiest insertion; and the different uses of the various types of a hammers.
The music artists who are getting the maximum benefits out of MySpace are the ones who use this valuable, marketing and communication tool like a carpenter uses a hammer.
Listed below are helpful tips that will help music artists take full advantage of the marketing, promotional, and publicity opportunities available through the proper use of a MySpace page.
1.
) BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY: The purpose of adding friends is to assemble a pool of potential supporters.
If you have 100 or 10,000 friends, it doesn't matter if only 12 of them regularly come to your shows.
Those 12 - no matter how enthusiastic - can't support you.
It's a good start, but it's the other 9,888 that can really support you (or help you get your own reality tv show).
So how do you build a community of friends that will support your career? By endearing yourself to them - off line.
It's ironic, isn't it.
But you have to make your music play a role in peoples' lives.
You, and your music, have to represent an experience that people want to be a part of.
I'm not just talking about shows either.
I'm talking about meet-and-greets, listening parties, and any events to further promote your brand or the causes that you and your fans believe in.
This includes social events, fundraisers, protests, etc.
Anything that brings your people together in the real world is a good PR move for you.
2.
) ESTABLISH YOUR CREDIBILITY: Change the settings on your comments page to only be shown with your approval.
This will stop stupid comments and advertisements from being posted without your knowledge or consent.
Ideally, all of the comments about you on your page should testify to how awesome you are as an artist and how much people enjoy your music or performances.
Anything else (even if it's a message accompanied by a scantily clad babe or cute guy) doesn't do anything for you so delete them...
unless they are singing your praises of course.
All of your public comments should paint a positive picture of you that makes you look like someone worth getting to know.
3.
) DOCUMENT YOUR STORY: Your MySpace page should tell your story of success (or evolving success).
Your story should provide the visitor with brief and accurate biographical information such as where you are located, how you got started, what your goals are, and any details about your upcoming shows, activities, or events.
Not your whole life story.
Save that for a page on Wikipedia.
Just include short, succinct paragraphs with factual information - not hype.
This is good for the media, industry professionals and fans; let them do the hyping for you.
4.
) GIVE THEM A REASON TO RETURN: According to Mashable.
com, the leading website that reports on social networking news and statistics, people spend more time looking at pictures and reading blogs on MySpace than they do listening to music (which is why they improved their "photo album" features).
Give your fans motivation to return to your page by frequently adding or changing your pictures and blogs.
Remember that both your blogs and your photos form perceptions about you.
What impressions would your visitors walk away with if they visited your page right now? 5.
) BUILD A USER FRIENDLY WEB PAGE: Professionals won't spend 4 minutes waiting for your page to load in.
4 minutes is long enough for Justin Timberlake and Madonna to save the world, but it's too much time for your page to load in.
Your page will load in faster if you remove busy backgrounds, huge graphics, excessive photos, too many animated gifs, and multiple embedded videos.
The minimal approach to embellishing your page works (and loads in) best.
One video (that you want people to focus on) and a link to all of your videos on You Tube is the best way to go.
With regard to your music, put your best foot (and your best song) forward by placing it first on your playlist.
A random sampling of pages shows that the songs with the most number of plays are usually listed first, or have been posted on your site the longest.
We (the public) are only concerned with your hottest tracks, and your latest tracks.
Your page should represent a nice balance between the two.
Using these tips will help you nail down the proper use of MySpace so that you can do more meaningful networking.
Good luck!
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