MusiciansMom

If you're a Facebook user, you've no doubt seen its new layout, Timeline, on various personal and business pages during the past few months.  And in case you haven't heard, Facebook is reformatting all business brand pages to its new Timeline layout March 31st.

As with any Facebook change, there are those who love the new look and features and those who are holding on to the old look as long as possible.  But whether you embrace or dread the change, if you're using a business page for your band, it will look very different this weekend!

Like other Facebook changes, Timeline takes some getting used to - but for musicians it may actually make using Facebook more effective.  Here are a few of the changes I like:

• The required cover image has more visual impact.  I just like looking at them.  I get a sense of branding right away.
• The new layout equalizes the playing field, a bit, in terms of first impression. All business pages will have the same basic layout; the big musicians and bands won't have their fancy call to action pages while independent musicians (who may have less time or fewer resources to build the fancy pages) are stuck with a plain layout.  Anyone with a bit of creativity and photo editing savvy can have a very striking welcome page.
• The new Milestone feature allows companies to highlight the most important events in your band's history.
• The ability to "Pin" a post to the top of your wall for seven days means you can highlight a custom page, gig or special offer.

There are many more features that can be used to make the most of the new layout. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources to help make the transition easier.  Below are links to the articles and resources I've found most helpful as I've begun transitioning my pages, and a several resources specifically focused on musicians.

From PC World:
How to Prepare Your Facebook Business Page for Timeline

From Huffinton Post:
How to Market Your Fan Page With the New Facebook Changes

From Facebook's Help Center (yes, it's actually helpful!):
Timeline: A New Kind of Profile

From CD Baby's DIY Musician:
Using the New Facebook Timeline Features to Market Your Music
How to Set Up Facebook Timeline for Bands
12 Ways to Grow Your Facebook Fanbase Using Timeline

Once you've got the cover and profile images you want, there are still a lot more ways to spruce up your Facebook page.  Maybe this is just the impetus you need to tend to your Facebook page?  I know for me it was...and I'll be adding more milestones, details and apps in the coming weeks! (These are a work in progress - I spent a lot of timing figuring out photoshop! The pages are: MusiciansMom and the brand new Skynote-Consulting). 

If the above resources don't answer your questions, or if you need help making the switch, let me know!  You can reach me by email at diana@musciansmom.com.

Happy Timelining!

One of the things we keep asking ourselves as business owners, musicians and as people, I suppose, is "Who am I?"  Asking that question helps us clarify and refine our goals, our mission and to make sure we're heading in the direction we want to go.

The question quickly becomes more complicated, though, when the "who" we're talking about is multiplied by numerous online sites.  Who I was when I joined MySpace, for example, (back when MySpace was the place to be) is different from the who I am today on Facebook and my current websites.  Different still from the who I'll be on the next very-exciting, all-new web medium. :)

Having a strong sense of your online "who am I" can make managing the various sites you use much easier.  One important factor to consider in your "who am I" journey is which sites you need to use and which sites you like to use for your music business.  The key is not to overextend yourself.  If you have profiles on 50 different sites, but never update 20 of them, that's 20 places too many.

Feeling overwhelmed?  You are not alone.  There are more and more sites -- and services to manage these sites -- appearing every day.  Fortunately, help is available!  You can schedule a consultation with MusiciansMom to help you figure out what to do (and what not to do!).

Not sure "who" you are?  Join our Mailing List - in our next issue, we will examine web persona development more closely - including a worksheet to help you focus and refine your online identity!

--Diana

In the meantime, here's some reading (and tips) that might help you from the DIY Musician blog:

"One of the keys to your promotion is your musical persona, your musical identity. Part of that is your online identity, which should present a unified front whenever possible. Instead of feeling like your online presence is spreading ever outwards until you’re stretched infinitely thin, think of ways to make the many disparate sites converge on the central truth of “you.” "

To read more about Reclaiming Your Online Identity go to the entire The DIY Musician article here.

Sound to good to be true? MusiciansMom was at one time, just a dream...

"Humans have the amazing gift of dreaming. It allows us to imagine things that are absolutely crazy, and completely out of our reach. Ambition is a great source of energy. Being able to dream big will give you guts and make smaller dreams feel much more attainable. Ambition will make you creative and more resourceful.

Dreams are only dreams until you write them down. Then they become your goals. – Anonymous

The difference between a dream and a goal is just a question of attitude. Dreams are by definition something that’s out of reach. A goal is something that you plan and work towards. If you start treating your dreams as your goals, then you have already taken the first step towards making them come true."

One especially important factor in making your dreams come true is connections.  Whether you're connecting with your fans, with your friends and family (aka your support team!) or with the people promoting your music and shows, developing a network of support can help you transform your dream into reality!

"Connections are gold. Your genius will go unnoticed if no one knows about it. The myth of the lonely genius is exactly that – a myth. Successful people are without exception, well connected. Luckily making connections is easier than ever before. Connect with other bands, bloggers, music lovers, friends of friends and random people. Don’t try to gain anything from these connections. Have inspiring conversations and people will remember you. Offer to help and people will help you back."

To read more of the 5 Easy Steps to help you get started (or keep going) making your dreams come true, read the entire Music Think Tank article here.