I’ve been purposely spending a lot of time on MySpace lately building a community of friends and spreading the word about this blog. I’ve looked at literally thousands of MySpace Artist sites and regular sites listing information about the singer, writer, musician, producer and/or industry mogel. If you fit anywhere on that list, I have a question for you: what are using MySpace for?
I’m sure your answer is that you’re using it to build and connect with an audience for your music, but I ask because I’ve yet to see a list of top friends that reflects that goal. Here’s what I’ve seen:
Music Stars – do you really think we believe you and Sting and Paul McCartney hang on a regular basis, or that they read your blog and bulletins and listen to your music off MySpace?
Models – once again, do you think we believe you hang with these folks either? Or, do you not know that this list of top 20 simple proves you enjoy connecting with attractive people of the opposite sex?
Your friends – amongst the millions of MySpace accounts out there, we’ve stumbled upon your “online presence” only to read a string of comments related to you and a friend setting up dinner on Tuesday evening. Or, too learn the fun nicknames you have for each other.
Other musicians – Great. You’re networked with 572 OTHER musicians who are trying to do the same thing you are. So? How many of them have anything at all to do with your music, goals and career aspirations. More directly, how many of them directly affect your income?
What’s missing folks?
FANS
If I were you, I’d agressively seek the folks – everyday Janes, Bills and Marios – that are actually listening to/buying your music or MIGHT in the future. I would write everything on your site to attract, captivate and interest those people. Focus everything on them. And remember, they are bombarded with impersonal messages all day, every day; they have short attention spans and will be looking for reasons to click you off. think about your fans with every message, comment and bulletin. Telling the industry about an upcoming event or song is one thing, inviting a fan is completely different.
Your goal should be to find people who not only interact with you, but appear to be connected to, and are an influencer to, a large group of music lovers. Of course it’s hard to find these people, but not as hard as the next step: interaction. Interact with these folks any way you can. Personally. Write them messages and comments that mean something to them – build an online relationship. Not everyday, but at least occasionally.
Put them in your top friends and come up with other ways you can focus on THEM. Blog about them, bulletin about them, have giveaways, whatever – just do something for them. Treat them like they matter.
Because they do.
