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.