Know thy social media (Pt two) - 14 Mar 2011

I've been a huge supporter of the local rock / alternative / indie music scene in South Africa ever since Bizcommunity launched the BizLounge. I've attended gig after gig - from The Dirty Skirts to The Rudimentals to Goldfish - and we have some great talent here. I've watched bands grow from small-time Cape Town bands into artists playing on one of the biggest national radio stations with their hits making it all the way up the charts.

Some have transcended national borders and are touring overseas. It just irks me that at times some of these artists and their managers / publicity managers have not come to grips with how to use social media tools and how not to. A prime example occurred last week on Facebook when a band referred to itself in the third person; understand that this is extremely alienating to fans who would like to believe that the band actually runs the Facebook page and that they are communicating with the band. This is of course not always the case in reality but at least pretend that it is.

All musicians continent-wide should embrace social media in marketing themselves; it is, however, imperative that the platforms' ins and outs are grasped thoroughly before using them unwittingly to the band or artist's detriment.