With the ever-changing face of online marketing and social networking, there's a lot of information to sort through, much of it suggesting that there is a "right" way to use the internet to promote your music. Like most things, however, what is right for one person is not necessarily right for everyone.
Social networking sites can be a powerful tool in your marketing kit. But in order for them to serve your music business, you'll have to figure out the best way for you to use them. Certainly there are ideas that have broad appeal and work well for a lot of people. But it's not as simple as that: those basic ideas have to be adapted to your particular circumstance - including your work style, your schedule, your audience, your music etc.
A lot of suggestions from the blog entry, "Seven Rules for Effective Social Networking For Artists", work well for me. I love interacting on Facebook. But, considering my real life (a mom who's running two businesses and works for another company), it means I do interact on Facebook, but I don't necessarily "read what everyone else on my friend list is saying." It's just not practical.
I agree that an effective way to use Facebook is to "Think of it as providing an avenue for mass receiving" rather than "an avenue for mass broadcasting" and to "Say interesting things." However, I have been known to simply announce an upcoming sale or to update my status with something as interesting as, say, "More snow. Ugh."
So my Facebook strategy is relaxed. I am not overly fussy about the exact wording or timing of my posts and don't worry too much if I don't log in to Facebook every day. This approach allows me to accomplish the other tasks my businesses require and it means Facebook doesn't feel like a burden. (I rarely keep up on things that feel like a burden!) Is it the best approach for everyone? No. You may need a more scheduled approach, an editorial calendar or a regular day or time to update and interact. Or you may need to hire someone else to do it because it drives you crazy. The important thing is to find a way that works for you.
If you want to read more of Michael Epstein's blog, here's the link:
