The Little Things All Unsigned Bands Can Learn From One Direction about FacebookLittle things - One Direction .... see what I did there.... a job on a shite tabloid title awaits for myself in the not so distant future
But title aside keep with me on this as if you do you'll learn a lot about facebook engagement for your band
First of all I want to explain - I don't happen to spend all day on One Directions facebook page. Last week I was searching for a local Manchester band Colombia on facebook and went to the facebook search, being one of those vague names it was a nightmare to find, and on clicking on public posts the 1D page came up as they must have been playing or talking about Colombia in the States. Out of interest I clicked on to see what was being posted and the music marketer in me thought WOW WOW WOW - everything these guys are doing is different that what I see on local bands pages every single day!!
So ...
* Forget the fact they have over 11 million fans on facebook and you're in the hundreds or thousands
* Forget that they make pop music and you do something you consider artistically more important ...
* Even forget the fact that the main facebook pages updates will be done by Social Media Manager for the band and you will have to update yourselfJust open up http://www.facebook.com/onedirectionmusic in another tab / browser and we'll go through 5 points you need to look at
1. It's ALL about the fans and your bands page tends to be Me Me MeThis was the first thing that struck me about the page as soon as I clicked on it
Essentially One Direction is a money making machine for SYCO, but looking at the page updates you'll notice virtually every single update on their page is either about the fans or manages to engage the fans in someway
Whether it's photos of the fans, fan artwork, asking the fans questions - every single opportunity they have, they like to involve the fans
Of course regularly mention your next gig, but it's the difference between push and pull marketing and be honest look at your band page and how much of your updates are PUSHING at the fan rather than engaging with them
Tip: Next gig you have - find someway of visually engaging people via photos. Even if its as simple as group photos of the audience. Also engage other bands on the bill and have a group photo with every single band on the bill before doors open
2. They update their facebook page every single day
Being a social media geek this is a little bugbear of mine with bands - lack of commitment to Social Media
But again look how much they update their page and then look at yours
Often we'll book bands and they expect fans to remember they have a gig this weekend when they last updated their facebook page 2 weeks ago and then once on the day of the gig.
Pre Social Media it was said every single person sees 3000 advertisements / pieces of information a day - it's probably multiplied by 100 now, so if you're not visible you simple won't be remembered
Tip: Timing is key with Social Media so even though you need to update every day - think when are most of your fans online
(A fan drawing)
3. It's all Content Content Content ....I could bore you for a whole blog on content marketing as its such a massive subject - but what you essentially need to know if you need a variety of photo's, video and blog updates on a continually evolving basis
And variety is key as you can see from the page - so content isn't pushing the same youtube clip every single day for 6 months!!!
And going back to point 1 with the fans - the fans create a lot of the content and content is reused time and repackaged time and time again to create something new.
Tip: We keep saying this, but our guest blogs are a great way to create a new piece of content to give some value to fans and exposure for the band. If you haven't wrote a guest blog yet you really need to - we get 27,000 page views a week - click here
4. Facebook is one voice - but on twitter it's the every band members individual voices
We're 2 weeks from the end of the 2012 and I still here from bands - "I Don't Do Social Media so I don't really get involved with Social Media"
Latest figures are that over there are 30 million UK users of facebook and 10 million + twitter users - so 50% and 20& of the UK population
When I look at the most popular unsigned acts in Manchester every single member of the band will engage with fans and have their own personality that shines through on their own personal twitter as well as having the main band account.
Tip: Twitter moves very very fast so don't be afraid of over posting - but when you post always have in mind the social aspect rather than push push push marketing
5. Enjoy yourself or ahem, Live While We're YoungIf all this sounds a little serious and a little hard work.....
Remember the end goal - the packed out gig which is fun fun fun (or in 1Ds world Crazy crazy crazy)
There's is no better feeling in the world for a band that a rammed out gig with the crowd going mental
REMEMBER Without promotion something terrible happens.... nothing!!!
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Would love to see how your band gets on and every band that plays for us gets a 14 Page Promo Tips Document to help them on all aspects of online marketing
Look at the link here for more info
http://www.designermagazine.org/ManchesterBands.htm
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All Interviews by Alex McCann unless otherwise stated
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