Social media has provided an almost perfect medium for disseminating news and opinion. It has become an invaluable asset and ally for mass marketing and self-promotion. What social media has done, for all of us, is give us a forum to engage the audience of our choosing, as well as provide a veritable on-line street team to promote our wares. For Jivewired, it's no different.
Social media encompasses what is considered the new marketing communication — inbound marketing.
Inbound marketing is successful because it costs less than traditional marketing and reaches a greater target audience. Simply put, for a retailer or brand, there is no sense in trying to buy your audience when your audience isn't paying attention.
Here are some statistics that should cause you pause and and empower you to take action:
- 44% of direct mail is never opened. That’s a waste of time, postage and paper.
- 86% of people skip through television and radio commercials.
- 84% of the 25-34 year-old demographic have clicked out of a website because of an “irrelevant or intrusive ad.”
- The cost per lead with outbound marketing significantly outweighs the cost per lead with inbound marketing.
Inbound marketing focuses on earning a person’s attention rather than purchasing it and is done through social media and engaging content, such as blogs, podcasts and white papers. To be successful, your content needs to be interesting, informative and add value, allowing you to create a positive connection in the eyes of your target audience, which ultimately represents your target consumer group. Engaging content and material will more likely lead to positive marketing and advertising campaigns. Bottom line is the cost is marginal and the return on your investment is exponentially substantial if you run your marketing campaign correctly.
Experts on Social Media That We Revere:
Almost everybody reads Mashable.com. Most of the statistics I used for this article are courtesy of http://mashable.com -- they do after all have their finger on the pulse of all things social media and boast an impressive and expert staff.
However, we also would like to point out a few knowledgeable social media and music business analysts from the blogosphere that we endearingly revere:
- Madalyn Sklar publishes a blog that is social media and social marketing intensive. In addition to her work with GoGirls Music (http://gogirlsmusic.com), Madalyn provides a service to her readers that helps the informed as well as the uninformed navigate the social media waters with the most success.
Because Madalyn actually uses most or all of the tools she recommends or rejects, she offers a strictly unbiased service to her readers. If it's good, she'll tell you. If it's a waste of time and/or money, she'll tell you that as well. She actually cares about all independent musicians, not just the ones she represents or works with, and shares this information free of charge to anybody who will put in a few minutes to read her posts. You would be well off having Madalyn on your team, but her free advice is the next best thing. You can peruse her blog at http://www.madalynsklar.com
- Laura Marie is one of our favorite musicians. She writes a blog called "Nerd Alert" that is a must read. Laura tries just about everything that is web-related for musicians. She then gives you the low-down on what's great and what's a dog with fleas. She is always exploring avenues for the indie musicians, and her blogs are usually no holds barred journals that provide invaluable insight for all independent artists. Her content is wonderfully engaging and right to the point and she is always spot on in her assessments. You can read the "Nerd Alert" at http://lauramariemusic.com/fr_home.cfm
- Though the emphasis is not on social media, Vanessa Kaster publishes a blog on Word Press entitled "The IP Legal Freebies Blog" - offering tips for musicians, authors, artists and entrepreneurs regarding copyright management, trademark and intellectual property.
Please note, that the postings on her blog do not constitute legal advice. That being said, it is still a must read. Don't let the disclaimer keep you from checking it out. These days, everything written needs a disclaimer. Even disclaimers need disclaimers. You can read "The IP Legal Freebies Blog" at http://iplegalfreebies.wordpress.com
- The Lefsetz Letter is an invaluable music analysis newsletter that every artist should subscribe to. Here's my disclaimer: I do not always agree with everything Bob Lefsetz writes. That simply proves I'm not always right. And I'm not the only one with similar feelings - Bob freely posts rebuttals and comments, good or bad, from his readers. His readers include some of the heaviest hitters in professional music.
The thing that is great about The Lefsetz Letter is that Bob can expertly analyze a topic from either side. That's because Bob wants to educate you, not control you. Bob will figuratively open doors for you, but he'll let you decide whether to enter or turn and run. Yes, he is very influential. But ultimately, he is more of a teacher than anything. And every thing he posts is backed up with honest textual reference.
The point of his newsletter is two-fold:
1. Provide informative, engaging content.
2. Get you, as the reader, to take action.
As far as his personal opinions, you'll have to decide whether to agree or disagree, which is the whole point of the daily exercise anyway, so mission accomplished.
Bob writes a lot. You'll get a few e-mails a day once you subscribe. But I would urge you to read each and every one of them. The point-counterpoint analysis is a treasure and when Bob wants to drive a point home, he is unflappable and unwavering. You can subscribe to the Lefsetz Letter at http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 and you can read online here: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress
If I were you, I would simply subscribe, because you won't want to miss anything he publishes.
Jivewired and Social Media:
Each social media site has its strong points and limitations. For example, tweets are limited to 140 characters, so context and content is often lacking. URL minimizing tools make clicking that link an exercise in sheer panic if you aren't familiar with the source provider. Twitter also limits your audience if you don't play nice. The object is to equalize the amount of people you follow with the amount of people who actually follow you. That can be a daunting task, and forces favoritism in the ranks.
You can follow Jivewired on Twitter at the following URL designations:
Facebook is obviously the most commonly used form of social media. If you are reading this and you don't have a Facebook account, you are really missing out on an unbelievable way to promote yourself. As a musician, Facebook has severe content limitations, but, status updates link directly to the desired URL designation with little fuss or bother. With so many users, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. Additionally, it is hard to determine who amongst your followers is really a fan and who is just padding connections. This was a problem inherent with MySpace as well. Still, few will doubt the necessity of this platform. With over a half-billion users, it would behoove you to leverage this social behemoth to the best of your abilities. Just be real, and be engaging. After all, you and your product are one in the same in this age of social networking and marketing.
You can follow Jivewired on Facebook at the following URL designations:
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