Facebook, YouTube and the Social Media Revolution (II)

Continuing from last week’s article;

Here’s a rundown of the major social media websites you should consider using to reach more fans and market your music better:

Facebook

Meet the undisputed heavyweight champ of social networking sites. By the time you read this, Facebook could have 500 gazillion registered users – or be a relic of the past. Who knows? But as of this writing, it is the most travelled online destination where among other things independent music reigns supreme. Millions of bands have free profiles on the site and clamor for the attention of people they like to call “friends.”

Here’s how it works: it’s as if each Facebook user has his or her own private club of special friends who share similar interests. Once you’ve been approved as someone’s official friend, you get access to their entire network of friends. And each of those friends has a network of friends. So, when it comes to social “music networking,” if you can get a few excited fans talking about you, word can spread to thousands of people fast.

Three ways to use Facebook effectively:

1. Be sure to sign up for a Facebook account – which gives you features like a Facebook page, business suite, Facebook messenger, Facebook ads, commerce manager and lots more. Don’t make the mistake of promoting yourself and/or band using your personal account, which would make unlocking Facebook’s many promotional features difficult. It is recommendable to setup a Facebook page for your professional activities in music

2. Don’t make people dizzy with bad design. One of the great things about Facebook is the freedom the site gives users to style their profile pages. The big drawback is that many people simply don’t have good design skills. That explains why you see so many horrid music profiles on Facebook that are bloated with heavy graphics, multimedia, and contrasting colors that make reading the text nearly impossible. Don’t do this! Err on the side of simplicity.

3. Be prepared to put in the time. To make the most of Facebook, you can’t just throw up a profile page, let it sit, and expect it to work miracles. It’s called “social networking,” which means you have to be social and network with other people. Therefore, allot time every day (or at least a few times a week) to responding to comments, messages and friend requests. Be proactive and seek out users who are fans of bands similar to yours. Tailor Facebook ads targeted to them. Also, update your profile regularly, upload and embed video clips, and check out other Facebook areas such as Groups, Forums, etc.

YouTube.com

At first, the internet was primarily a text-based medium. Then high-speed access and the MP3 and Flash Formats made audio commonplace online. It was only a matter of time before video caught up. There are now an endless number of video sites across the web, but the granddaddy of them all is YouTube.com, which at last count was serving up some 100 million videos a day to its users. (verify numbers)

Here’s how it works: Once you register for a free YouTube account, you can upload video clips of 10 minutes or less in a variety of formats (check upload limit). The site then converts them to a streaming format that your fans can view on the YouTube site itself or embedded into your own website. There’s a lot of competition for attention on the site, but some music videos rise to the top and are seen by millions of people.

Here are three ways to make the most of YouTube:

1. Don’t let a low budget stop you. If you’re sweating because you think a music video has to be a big-budget MTV extravaganza, slap some cold water on your face right now. In this new era, it’s more about the idea behind the visuals than it is the production quality. Granted, it helps to have a nice camera and editing software (and the chops to use them tastefully). But many people have received widespread exposure using only a $50 web cam on their home computer.

2. Think outside the format box. On YouTube and other similar sites, music-related videos come in many different forms. It can be as simple as a single-camera shot of you playing in your living room or on a stage, or as complex as a documentary or traditional music video. Also, the video content you create to promote your music doesn’t even have to include music. Record interviews with your band members or shoot footage of life backstage or on the road. As long as you’re sharing some part of yourself with your fans, it’s all fair game.

3. Develop your YouTube profile page. Like Facebook and other sites, YouTube allows you to design a profile page that contains links to all of your videos, a short bio, and a link to your personal website. Also, people can subscribe to your “channel” and get updates whenever you post new video content. You want to encourage this connection. And while you’re at it, subscribe to and leave comments on other YouTubers’ profile pages, which will cause your name to appear on their pages.

4. Other video sites to consider: Vimeo.com, DailyMotion.com, TikTok.com