The wonderful world of Social Networking
The world of social networking...what do I know about it you say? Well not nearly enough but I thought that I would still write on the topic since lately it is a HUGE part of my life. As a poet and music composer trying to make something of herself networking is key, vital, imperative...you know it's kind of a big deal. And it's also kind of a pain. Not the whole connecting part, that is rather enjoyable since I get to meet all sorts of cool people. It's just that building a network from the ground floor, no scratch that, from the dirt beneath the basement, is hard work. Especially if you tend to be socially awkward...which I am in no way claiming or denying I am. Social networking can be tedious at times and time consuming when you first get going. Think about all of the different platforms currently available for people to access, there is a plethora of sites out there that are all great ways to access a wealth of people you would other wise not have access to.
But why would you want to bother getting to know strangers over the internet? Well for starters if you are a company, artist, band, poet, blogger or do anything else that you generally want to share with people, social networking is the best way to make that happen. When you join sites like twitter and Google+ you are connected with literally thousands of people who like the very same things you do and who will be eager to talk to you about it. If you just so happen to be discussing your own work wouldn't you say that's even better?
Every day I get new fans on Reverbnation because I utilize the service that site provides me. If they really want to stay in touch with what I'm doing those same fans on reverb come over and follow me on twitter and facebook so that we have a more personal relationship. The times we live in are built around getting inside peeks into the lives of others, especially people we don't know. This is normally reserved for people who are celebrities and high profile, but with the availability of sites like Twitter and Facebook it is easier than ever to connect with anyone.
In my last post I discussed my new found appreciation for Google+ but I forgot to mention how pivotal Twitter is also when you are trying to market your brand (i.e. your band, your poetry, etc.). Twitter is handy because it gives people that inside peek into your life I was saying earlier. People want to know the person behind the art or business you are providing them with. They want to know that you are just like them, if you can do it so can they. Interaction is key to building bonds. All it takes is time. Don't expect to have 10,000 followers in two weeks, remember it's quality over quantity. I'd rather have 100 followers who pay attention to what I tweet or post on any other site than 1,000 who just scroll past me on their timeline, wouldn't you?
Last thing I want to say about social networking is this, don't just think "If I build it they will come". Do you know how many people out there are doing the same things as you? A lot. So you have to make sure that when you get yourself connected to all these media outlets that you are letting people know where to find you. Go out and bring people in. It works. Example: When I began reverbnation I had about 60 fans for about 6 months because I just put my page up and posted it on my facebook page to my friends. That's it, nothing else. No one else knew I was there. I was stuck in the same ranking for my genre for months as well. Then one day I decided to check out the competition. I began listening to other peoples music and began fanning the people I thought were really good. I sent them messages complimenting their work and comments on their profile. And then it happened. They began fanning me back and sending me messages and comments. Some even started recommending me to their fans. I began moving up and eventually became number three in my genre (which I still am, yay!) and have over 500 fans. After I built it, I let people know where to find it and it's made a huge difference.
Well I hope that this helps some of you out there debating whether social networking is something you should do while building your brand. If you have any questions I will be more than happy to help!
Find me here:
http://www.twitter.com/talichaj
http://www.reverbnation.com/talichaj
