Follow Up to YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG!

Just a few more things to add to my previous post regarding an artist who has found a way to use social media wrong…wronger than I’ve ever seen.  The wrongest!  I feel like this is applicable to any use of online blogs, microblogs, social networks and such, not just promotion for musicians.  I’ve noticed a few more strange things this artist is doing and wanted to note them.  Pretend this is an Appendix.

Appendix A: More Things You’re Doing Wrong

• Telling Instead Of Showing: We are treated to many statements meant to dispel assumptions.  For instance, that the artist is ‘Real’ and not ‘Fabricated.’  Or that they are working hard.  It doesn’t come across as honest, since the artist regularly ‘acts’ fabricated, and ‘acts’ like they aren’t working hard.  Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but constantly informing us that they’re hitting a big club, or hanging on a red carpet, or on vacation in Mexico while demanding that we ‘support’ does not sound ‘real’ nor ‘working hard.’  Nor does allowing a rumour about a fling with a celebrity to continue and refusing to answer questions (“It is what it is.”) when it’s obvious that nothing happened.  …giving away too much?
• Bad Grammar: Run on sentences.  ’Text spelling’ in tweets that are ten words long.  Random capitalization.  Incorrect spelling.  Don’t.
• Motivational Speeches: This is something they’ve done regularly and really seems out of place, it’s more of a ‘What is the reason?’ complaint.  This goes back to something I’ve always said to people if they are using social media for promotion: BE CONSISTENT!  Ranting about the industry, demanding support, frustrated whining…followed by statements like ‘Believe in yourself and you can reach any goal’ (which, regularly, suffer from bad grammar) is weird.  It’s off-putting.  If all tweets and Facebook posts were positive, I would probably think differently.  Be consistent.
• Private Tweets Accidentally Made Public.  For the love of dog, learn how to use your Twitter application and learn FIRST OF ALL how to delete tweets you accidentally make public.  Posting about your frustration…and then posting a message that was clearly supposed to be privately sent to a girl you find hot…no…no…don’t.

Anywhoo, I’m done with this negative posting.  I’m trying to offer examples of things you shouldn’t do…from now on, when I discuss this subject, I’ll focus on things you should do.  It’s much more productive that way.

Here’s a video of baby sloths getting a bath.  They have built-in clothes pins, you know!

Follow me on Twitter @Potoroo!  If you ever see me do anything that I shouldn’t be doing, feel free to let me know! 

YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG!

Heh heh…support…

The Internets are a fantastic place, where creative ideas bloom and no idea is a bad idea.  I lied.  I’m sorry.  There are bad ideas.  But most bad ideas aren’t very bad…except when you do a bunch in a row.  Then you get the title to this blog post: YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG.

I’m SOOO frustrated following a particular artist who shall remain unnamed, though I may cryptically leave clues in this post if you want to dig.  This person is doing everything wrong.  Literally.  And it’s not like you need to be an expert to know it…any one of you could spot this if you were paying attention.

The sad thing is, they have decent money backing them.  They have videos, a recent album release, AND a history that’s seen them on the charts and winning awards.  They should be set…but I think the mistakes they’re repeatedly doing online are part of the reason they are failing.  Here is a bullet point list of no-no’s this artist is doing, which individually wouldn’t be so bad, but  together are horrible:

• Using Twitter and Facebook to Guilt Fans: this artist repeatedly demands…yes, DEMANDS…support.  Their favourite word is ‘Support.’  They feel that you should support them at all costs, and phrase it in a way that feels more like ‘You’re either with me or against me.’  That makes me NOT want to buy their music
• Using Twitter and Facebook to Bitch About The Industry/Negative Posts: this artist repeatedly complains that the industry isn’t working, and if it did work they’d be rich and famous and on the charts.  They don’t just insult the music industry (specifically the Canadian industry) but their fans, writing regular negative posts which often include statements from a high horse ending with a shake of the head.  They try to sound philosophical and inspiring but come across as whining.
• Broadcasting How Awesome Their Life Is: counterproductive to their ‘I need support’ posts, we regularly get updates of their daily life.  This wouldn’t be so bad, except it generally involves trips to fancy resorts (seemingly for months in Mexico), hanging out in California at celebrity events, going clubbing, going to the gym, and other things the majority of their fans may never do.  Which is interesting since…
• Did Not Support Their Own Album Release: the calls for support fall short when they weren’t even around to support the release of their new album.  The day it was released they were on vacation (proudly stated in Tweets and Facebook posts), and then in the U.S., despite the fact that the album would probably have it’s first successes in Canada.  I never saw any kind of announcement that they were doing a radio tour, or a live performance at all.  No record store appearances.  No surprise fan events.  They were out partying in a different country the day…the week…I think the entire month after the release.
• Never Announce Tour Dates, Never Announce Events: a recap of part of that last statement – I don’t think they play live shows, whether opening for another act or just a small club show.  I haven’t seen anything about it.  I get the feeling they feel above performing for their fans unless it’s a stadium.

In all, the problem here is arrogance.  The thought that success should be delivered on a platter…preferably with some Grey Goose at a club in Cabo…and it is the fans (and music industry’s, and general music lovers, and Canadian public in general) who should be putting the work in.

It’s no wonder their album has no reviews or comments on iTunes, and they’re constantly requesting that people get off their asses and buy the album.

YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG!  What should you be doing?

• Giving fans a reason to care
• Reaching out to fans and starting a conversation
• Giving content so people get an idea of what the new music is about: videos, streaming audio, etc.
• NOT COMPLAINING!
• Maintaining a positive attitude even in the face of difficulty
• Playing live
• SUPPORTING YOUR ALBUM, not demanding that everyone else does

I’ll fully admit, I may be missing part of the story, but that’s another problem in itself.  This is the character that I’m building after reading the Twitter and Facebook messages, which is how most fans will access to the artist.  If I’m getting this from the posts and getting no sense that they’re working the album, then what are fans thinking?

…I can tell you what they’re thinking.  They’re thinking that they aren’t interested.

The final thought?  SUPPORT YOURSELF!  So many bands are doing it, and they’re being successful, because the fans want to support them…because they aren’t being told to.

NOTE: 24 hours after writing this (and sitting on it, to make sure I wanted to post) this same artist has Tweeted five times: twice telling people to ‘make sure’ they share links, once telling people that they ‘still need’ to support, once decrying the two-faced people they are having to deal with, and once thanking a radio station for playing their song.  One out of five…is still bad.

Sorry for the negative post…just couldn’t take it anymore!  If you want to follow me (where I’m always upbeat and positive) head to @Potoroo on Twitter!  <3 you all!

When you pay for Facebook Fans…

Here’s some insight…HAH HAH!  It’s funny, ’cause Facebook calls the thing that gives you the stats that lets you know how you’re doing ‘Insights!’  Enough humour, LET’S BEGIN…EXHIBIT #1: The Pitch

What’s this you say?  I give you money, you give me real, targeted fans???  I guess these people are persuasive…imagine if 300 artists paid them $200…the team must get moving, contacting prospective fans and persuading them to ArtistX, click like.  Not just that…they find people who are relevant!  1,000 people who TRULY want to like you, and for only $200!

That’s money in the bank, right?  I mean, if they’re REAL and TARGETED odds are they’ll watch your videos, buy your albums, and go to your shows.

…it is money in the bank…their bank.

How could anyone possibly find fans, and exactly 1,000 of them, who are truly interested in an artist’s music.  Shouldn’t these fans be coming from shows, from people who found a video on a blog, or who were directed by a friend?  What’s going on here?

EXHIBIT #2: The Results!

Blurred to protect the artist: here are the Facebook Insights of someone who bought lots and lots of fans.  I didn’t even have to know in advance to guess these fans were paid for.  Look at that JUMP in a fanbase, over such a short period of time!  There could be reasons for this: maybe the video was shown on MuchMusic, or Gaga and Biebs got together to endorse ArtistX?  It’s ‘possible’ so many fans could join all at once.

It’s not likely, however, that so many fans joined, and so few got around to commenting on the page.  The second graph shows interactions, that is the comments and likes of fans over that period of time.  Notice the huge spike reaches around…30+?  But, on average, very few people are talking, even afterwards.

If 3,000 people joined your page, you think they’d be excited…you know, talking, interacting, engaged!  New fans, the ones who just clicked ‘Like,’ are normally the ones who talk the most.  Where are they?

If you see a page with 1,000 or more people, but only one or two ever talk (and usually the same one or two) odds are pretty high that the fans were all paid for.  That means…they aren’t real.  Which has NO benefit to the artist.

What is the point?  High numbers.  I guess you could claim that it ‘appears’ more legitimate to have 2,000 fans rather than 150.  I dunno…if I see a page with 150 fans and tons of engagement I’m more impressed than someone with 4,000 but no one cares.

The sad thing…the graph starts dropping.  Real fans are leaving the page.  Not just that…the ‘fake’ fans are leaving too, because you see these weren’t real fans at all but (for lack of a better word) bots.  Maybe it’s a trick…so you can buy a few more in two months.

There’s more…

Hell…look at this… Exhibit #3: You’ve Been Had

So, 891 people clicked like through a box somewhere in the net.  39 people clicked it straight on the User Profile.  5,033, the people who were paid for…’Unknown.’

Think about that for a second.  Facebook, the evil conglomerate that has tabs on everyone in the world, is tracking your every move…

THEY HAVE NO CLUE WHERE THE LIKES CAME FROM!

They’re just there.  There are 5,000 new people on this page and Facebook can’t trace their source.

My thoughts…it’s not even just a bot creating fake people and having them ‘Like’ your page, someone gamed the system and found a way to increase numbers without even having to FAKE PROFILES!!  These are just numbers.

They aren’t real…

They aren’t targeted…

They’re just paid for.

PS. I’d like to note that the example of a company that does this above is NOT the company who the person used…I can’t be 100% sure if that company sources from real people or uses some kind of trick to do it, so PLEASE don’t sue me.

I have no money, and want people to hear my new song…

...you could use your album title to send a message!!!

Quick Blog…but here are some quick things you can do:

• Give it away for free: use Bandcamp or Soundcloud
• Set a Facebook event on your Fan Page, or an email campaign set to direct people to the song at the same time on the same day (for instance: ‘Share my new song, Friday at Noon)
• Get friends and other musicians to share a link on Twitter, Facebook, or elsewhere

That last one is your best bet to success…if a musician shares your song to their fanbase it’s like a friend telling you that something is great: it’s word of mouth…digitally.

Another quick thing you can do…

…look into blogs that play your genre of music…contact them with the mp3, or a YouTube video link…maybe they’ll be nice enough to help ya out!

*wink wink*

Record Store, Need I Say More

…ok, it’s corny to use a lyric from a song I wrote in high school as a subject line…especially if that lyric is to a song that you could not possibly have heard.  Also…since the line is…badly written…but it suits the blog so I continue!!

I miss record stores.  ’Record Store’ probably means something different to everyone.  To me, it’s the Used Record Stores of Guelph, Orillia, and the side streets of Toronto that I used to frequent in the early 90s.  I would flip through the vinyl (or cassettes, at the start, and later the CDs) and grab sometimes ten…twenty at a time!

I’d discover new (old) bands based on the album cover, or having heard of them before in passing (Pixies, FM, Hawkwind) or because it was next to an album by a band I liked and was only $3 so who cares!!

It was a very cool experience: flipping through albums and discovering treasures.  I found the Peter Hammill albums that a friend played for me when I was younger…the Jazz Butcher, Nash the Slash…

I found an album from the late 70s of electronic music that sounds like an early version of house, where no instruments were listed…just ‘Computors.’ (sic)

I found full length LPs with singles I heard on the radio, and then had a chance to hear the rest of the album. Sometimes I was lucky…other times…the album sucked.

It was, for lack of a less lame word, an adventure every time I walked into one.  I knew I’d be leaving with something, I just didn’t know what.

That whole experience is kinda gone now.  Ric’s Collectables on Main Street closed down right under my nose…I walked by it a thousand times but only went in twice.  The three stores I used to visit in Guelph are gone.  I’m not sure if Round Again Records in Orillia has survived.

Worse, the last record store I visited in Toronto, just yesterday…it ‘looked‘ like an old dingy used record store, but the prices certainly didn’t match. ($20 for a wrecked copy of XTC that I picked up a decade ago for $4?  Seriously?)

I’d love to find a way to bring that feeling to the modern age but…its hard to see how.  iTunes and online digital music retailers are boring.  Sure, I can flip through at a million miles a minute, find the album I’m curious about with a search, even preview it by pressing play…but the ability to discover the albums ‘around‘ it doesn’t exist anymore.

Google and Facebook don’t even really let me discover anything new anymore.  The algorithms are designed to help me find things based on what I’ve already found.  Over time, a search online will only point you in the directions you’ve taken before, never down a path you didn’t know you wanted to take.

Is that progress?!

I’m not pessimistic, though.  The pendulum always swings back and I’d be surprised if reaction to ‘personalized search’ doesn’t lead to a more randomized option.

And with record stores, they are pretty much fading, but something new and adventurous will be on the way.

When I spot the seeds of that new idea sprouting I’ll be sure to talk about it here!

Or…if you see it…please let me know!  I’d rather find out from a real person about a cool new twist on the record store than try to find it online!