5 Tips: Using Social Media Effectively

Social media sites provide myriad content sharing opportunities

A must read article for musicians is out now from thenextweb.com. Courtney Boyd Myers interviews Gray Blue, FanBridge’s director of music industry relations, for her article: Social Media Smarts for Musicians. We particularly liked the section where she asks: What are 5 rockstar ways bands can make more money and better engage with their audience through social media? Please pay careful attention to these answers:

1. Do – provide your fans with information. If your fans don’t know how to buy your tickets, get to your shows, put their hands on your music, then you’re doing it wrong.
2. Don’t – spam. Fans want you to talk to them, but no one likes to see their inbox/newsfeed/stream inundated by anyone or anything.
3. Don’t – be afraid to sell something. Remember that what you’re creating is valuable. When you devalue yourself, so will everyone else, and not just in music.
4. Don’t – forget about your music. All the tweeting, Facebooking, and emailing in the world won’t automatically create a fan base. As a performer, your music should be the priority, and online activity is an extension of what you make.
5. Do – be grateful. As a musician, your fans are the ones that buy tickets, mp3s,t-shirts, etc, and allow you the ability to perform. The rush you get on stage, the joy you have when someone wears your shirt – that doesn’t exist without your fans. Thank them, appreciate them, be grateful to them.

Read the whole article here for more great information: http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2011/06/25/interview-with-fanbridge-social-media-smarts-for-musicians/

-LAMA Staff