Post #2

Just a brief introduction…I have been using social networks for years. With the entertainment and music industry being so competitive today, I feel it’s necessary for an artist to understand their environment and know how to market themselves. Some of y’all may find this insert boring, but I figured I’d post it up for those interested in the business behind the music. A lot goes on to market an artist and understanding social media and its tools can be very beneficial. I use Twitter regularly to market myself. If you know how to use it right, it can definitely help you gain exposure. Very few people understand Twitter, but if you teach yourself its tools, I guarantee you that you’ll see results.

Online marketing is my second passion after rapping and both go hand in hand. I’ve successfully become the most followed person in my entire town. If I can do it, you can do it. Put yourself out there…in as many outlets and communities as you can…whether it be Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Soundclick or ReverbNation…they all have something to offer and the more your name is seen, the more fans you’ll gain and the more your music will be heard. Below is a paper I wrote for my Marketing Capstone class on the topic of Social Media. Let me know what you think and if there are any artists or companies out there that need help…Get at me. My contact information is below and I’d love to help you promote/build an online community for your product or service.

Marketing Now More Socially Engaged

By Ryan Loosier

Today, marketing through social media outlets has become tool not only for promoting your brand name, but also for gathering market intelligence that can lead to competitive advantage. Websites such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Wikipedia have changed the way people acquire information and communicate with one another. Twitter for example, can benefit marketers in several ways. By searching for key terms, marketers can analyze what consumers are saying about their brand and can even find potential customers with interests that are similar or related to their brand. From here, marketers can then follow this target audience, post updates about current company happenings, new products releases, and developments planned for the future. These tweets will then reach all current and potential customers thereby creating awareness of your brand in the marketplace.

Social media has opened the door for an array of possibilities; some good, some bad. By posting on networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace, companies can receive feedback on what consumers think and use this information to better their products. At the same time, however, competitors can also use this information to their advantage and impact the market environment that surrounds your product. On YouTube for example, competitors can watch your advertisements, analyze where the majority of your customers are watching from, and then use this background knowledge to position themselves within your market. Wikipedia is another platform that has allowed information and knowledge about a company to be easily shared and visible to the public.

Other sharing platforms, such as blogs, have become an excellent source of continuous information on industry issues, customers, and competitors. People with similar interests tend to cluster into different online communities for information exchange, and they no longer feel as though they have to be experts to express their observations and opinions. This can help marketers understand what consumers are looking for and if necessary change tactics in order to increase a product’s sales. Websites such as LinkedIn also play a factor in identifying sales leads as the social media networks connects experts from all over the world. It is also sometimes possible to get an indication of a competitor’s future direction through the projects and work employees present on their profiles. Because of this, employees must keep in mind that corporate information should not always be displayed. Although communities such as this can inform, they can also damage and create hassle for marketers if proper information isn’t disclosed.

Social media applications can also play an important role when it comes to analysis. Balancing expert perspective with wider audience opinion can allow for a more balanced view on where a trend may be heading. This can benefit marketers and can also allow for more collaboration. People from around the world can now combine their intellectual capabilities and create a more desired product.

In conclusion, integrating social media into your company, allows marketers to build customer relationships, advertise their products, and gather important information for analysis. This information can then be used to develop, plan, and execute your marketing strategies. Keep in mind, however, that what you read may not always be the truth and could even be information that is intentionally misrepresented.

Post #1

Custom ThisIsStix.com Headphones / Headphone Amp

First off, welcome to my blog. I've been thinking about doing one for awhile, but finally got the chance (and time) to put one together. Twitter and Facebook statuses just aren't cutting it anymore...I have too much to say and the 140 character limit kills me. This blog is my chance to tell you what's going on in my life. Some of you will care, some won't, some will treat this blog like you did when you were a kid...just looking at the pictures. Regardless, I love hip-hop, I love writing, and I love making music. Posted below my blog and to the right in the link box, you'll find several of the sites I frequently visit. Definitely check them out. These are the sites that I find keep you up-to-date with the latest...whether it be new tracks that drop (Hip-Hop Early), new mixtapes that drop (Dat-Piff), new videos that drop (Solly 4 Life), or just headlines for the day...you can find it all on this site. Welcome! So...First Post...Here We Go!

I recently received a lovely pair of Custom 600ohms Beyerdynamic DT990's headphones as a Christmas gift from my parents. Would you believe I have yet to record with them? My last semester of college is eating up my time, not to mention...the headphone amp I bought for them, that powers the headphones (shown above) failed on me the day I plugged it in (my luck). Was definitely a scary moment...All I heard was a slight electrical pop and the thing went up in smoke (literally). Luckily, Jack, the guy who sold me the amp, said he would service it for free and put me on priority. It's not like I've had time anyway. I haven't recorded a full song in months. I have songs written from years ago that I'd still like to record...some of them doing with subjects that I've far put in the past, but it seems, until I finish them, they're always lingering on. When you graduate, you're suppose to find a job. What do I want to do? Quit Work, Make Music (the name of the 2nd album I did with my group). Not a lot of people will understand it. It's not that I don't eventually want to find a job in Marketing (my major)...it just seems that with what I'm passionate about (music/entertainment) a job like that is hard to come by. You have to either get lucky...or know the right people...and honestly...I feel I've never had the opportunity to really get out there the way I've wanted too...To make those connections...to get me there. Sure I've done some shows, sure I'm the most followed person on Twitter in San Marcos, TX...even more followed than the school I'm about to graduate from (Texas State University), people know me, but I feel they don't know my true potential...and really that boils down to me...not having enough time to show them. In marketing terms, I'm giving them a product thats in it's maturity stage...old material. I know what I'm capable of and I know I can do some great new things if I had the time. I know that might sound cocky, but when something's your passion...you can't let it go...it consumes you and when you don't have the time for it, it frustrates you. I haven't been truly happy in a long time and a lot of it has to do with #1...being couped up by myself in my own apartment studying and doing homework...not getting to socialize too much and #2...not being able to express myself through my music. Some of you are artists. Some of you understand. But when you go through life and you have no outlet...not in your social life or in doing your music...it sucks...period. I'm thankful at the same time though. Through my education, I've learned a lot about the business and marketing world. Here at Texas State, I've met some of the most talented and passionate individuals. Grinders as we call them in the game. People like me. Who know what they want and won't settle for less. It'll be interesting to see where I end up in the coming months. It's the first time in my life that I truly don't know where to go or what to do. I feel like I'm not done with Texas yet...that I haven't gotten to experience Austin or do my music here, but at the same time...I miss Florida...and who knows if I'll ever get the opportunity to be there with my family and friends again. It's a lot to take in, but hey...I'm not complaining...something will work out and once I have the time, you can expect to see me behind the pen writing, behind the mic doing what I love, and on my grind finding the perfect career. Bet that. - Stix (Florida Chill, Texas Trill)