Creating and Growing a Social Media Presence

[winston]

just get a video with titties and it will take care of itself

youtu.be/zF2GGh_hWc0

or big juicy coks if that's your thing, i'm not judging.

[TimBuys]

"Patrick Hughes is a emerging Techno producer focusing on dance floor moving techno. With rolling percussion, banging basslines and screaming synths Patrick's sound is both familiar and progressive. Keep an eye out for big tracks to come soon!"
.

Made me drop my panties .

[Lost to the Void]

Come on, lets not pillory the guy, it`s easy to be in the dark about all this.

[TimBuys]

The first thing I noticed is that he is from the states. He is probably a product of the rising popularity of techno globally. It's not his fault he doesn't know about all underground culture sentiments. That's probably also one of the reasons why he joined the forum: to learn from the more experienced guys.

[Lost to the Void]

You do notice this kind of attitude more from guys in the states. I think it`s just in the national makeup, must succeed by any means necessary, measure everything by means of dollar value etc.
Most exciting guys coming out of the states tend to eschew this behaviour.

[TimBuys]

When I studied in the States some years ago I thought the cultural differences were going to be very minimal. Boy, how wrong was I. That's why it's so important to travel in life and come out of your own personal bubble: It changes the way you think.

[tsaro]

While the guy could have formulated himself a bit better and I do understand where you're coming from, are you just gonna ignore the fact that a massive amount of artist use Facebook advertising now? Like the bigger artist don't get covers on Mixmag. That you don't see a Nina Kraviz video getting spammed on (lame ass) facebook groups? Like techno events and festivals don't need to get promoted? Such a good chance to start a discussion here but instead everyone acts like there is no marketing in techno.

Hey I even wished him good luck, what more do you want from me?

Maybe you thought I meant I was laughing at Patrick and his ambitions, that was just about me enjoying the chaotic A&R office where everyone was checking aspiring artists' soundcloud demos and social media, and them gathering at a listening station of sorts when they found an artist with an agreeable sound and a big social media following.... I guess you should have seen it, etc.

The Bumload joke might have been a little harsh, even if it fits the imagery of the 'get rich and/or famous quick' scheme.

I get what you're trying to say (I think), in an ideal world it would only be about the music, when in reality it's a
combination of both music and image. Though in small(ish) scenes the music still comes first, people might become a
bit stingy when someone comes along to tell them they're doing it wrong and need to do the same as all the other 'EDM starz'.

Don't really agree with your examples, take Nina Kraviz. She's a pretty girl and she knows it, not really sure how
posting some spam on a social media site will equate to that. Maybe if we all put on wigs and lipstick, mixmag will
finally notice the raw talent

I could go on, though most of this has pretty much already been covered by others, so I'll shut up now, and just leave this here:
http://www.pro-tools-expert.com/home-pa ... -buy-a-cat

[[wesellboxes]]

You do notice this kind of attitude more from guys in the states. I think it`s just in the national makeup, must succeed by any means necessary, measure everything by means of dollar value etc.

There's the cliche that in Britain a guy sees a Rolls Royce, gets jealous and want's to damage it while in the USA they see a Rolls Royce and think "Wow, what do I have to do to earn enough to buy that that?"

Of course that actual sentiment is capitalist, neo-con bullshit to keep people in their place but people seem to buy it.

[L8Night]

make quality music , send it to the right labels. not point in worrying about social media presence till you have some type of buzz going without one.

[TimBuys]

While the guy could have formulated himself a bit better and I do understand where you're coming from, are you just gonna ignore the fact that a massive amount of artist use Facebook advertising now? Like the bigger artist don't get covers on Mixmag. That you don't see a Nina Kraviz video getting spammed on (lame ass) facebook groups? Like techno events and festivals don't need to get promoted? Such a good chance to start a discussion here but instead everyone acts like there is no marketing in techno.

Hey I even wished him good luck, what more do you want from me?

Maybe you thought I meant I was laughing at Patrick and his ambitions, that was just about me enjoying the chaotic A&R office where everyone was checking aspiring artists' soundcloud demos and social media, and them gathering at a listening station of sorts when they found an artist with an agreeable sound and a big social media following.... I guess you should have seen it, etc.

The Bumload joke might have been a little harsh, even if it fits the imagery of the 'get rich and/or famous quick' scheme.

I get what you're trying to say (I think), in an ideal world it would only be about the music, when in reality it's a
combination of both music and image. Though in small(ish) scenes the music still comes first, people might become a
bit stingy when someone comes along to tell them they're doing it wrong and need to do the same as all the other 'EDM starz'.

Don't really agree with your examples, take Nina Kraviz. She's a pretty girl and she knows it, not really sure how
posting some spam on a social media site will equate to that. Maybe if we all put on wigs and lipstick, mixmag will
finally notice the raw talent

I could go on, though most of this has pretty much already been covered by others, so I'll shut up now, and just leave this here:
http://www.pro-tools-expert.com/home-pa ... -buy-a-cat

Hey man, all I'm saying is I don't know how many times I have seen a really great artist promote his track through Facebook Advertising. Nothing wrong with that if you have complete confidence in your track IMO.

I'm surprised that you have no problems with Nina Kraviz being overpromoted. Isn't a bigger problem to the scene a huge amount of men just being present at a Nina Kraviz gig because they think shes hot, instead of a guy who is new and asks for advice on how to grow his following in a techno forum?

[Plyphon]

People often forget on the internet that dance music happens in the clubs.

It doesn't happen on Facebook, Twitter, even soundcloud.

Go to parties, speak to DJs, speak to promoters, make friends, start your own parties. (and that thing about making good music).

If you read interviews of any big scene "name" DJ you'll see stuff like "I met <name> at a kebab shop at 5am once after PBar, we had a laugh and the next thing I know we're sat round my studio making <insert big release>"

or often you'll see "I was living in a flat in Bristol with <insert 3 or 4 of the biggest names you know> for about a year and thats when I made <huge track>"

Stuff goes down in person!

[winston]

People often forget on the internet that dance music happens in the clubs.

It doesn't happen on Facebook, Twitter, even soundcloud.

Go to parties, speak to DJs, speak to promoters, make friends, start your own parties. (and that thing about making good music).

If you read interviews of any big scene "name" DJ you'll see stuff like "I met <name> at a kebab shop at 5am once after PBar, we had a laugh and the next thing I know we're sat round my studio making <insert big release>"

or often you'll see "I was living in a flat in Bristol with <insert 3 or 4 of the biggest names you know> for about a year and thats when I made <huge track>"

Stuff goes down in person!

yeah that is true, but for many if not most, that is easier said than done. not everybody can be living in a flat in Bristol or have a saturday job at a record shop, so they have to explore other avenues. plus regardless of whether something started like you mention, it must travel the world, or at least get to ResidentAdvisor, at some point. the Lobster Therimin "scene" (if you will) shows that ideas can be started by a group of people in one place, but then it doesn't matter where people are to make something grow.

"Patrick Hughes is a emerging Techno producer focusing on dance floor moving techno. With rolling percussion, banging basslines and screaming synths Patrick's sound is both familiar and progressive. Keep an eye out for big tracks to come soon!"
.

Made me drop my panties .

i think a lot of people write things such as this because it is difficult to try and explain who you are when you are still trying to figure things out. i had bios like this on myspace and looking back it sounds stupid, but because others have them, one feels that you should also have them. at least PatrickHughes is just one guy and not the Marketing person at a label whose job it is to write such shit.

i'm not a fan of social media, but i think it fair enough to have them if you are trying to punt a product, i just wouldn't want so much interaction, more just a place to make statements like "new ep out now at place" or "playing at place on saturday", but people expect there to be some dialogue like they are stakeholders in your product instead of consumers of the product.

[rsntr]

It turns out getting record of the month in the most popular DJ magazine of the time made pretty much zero effect on sales, as did mailing lists, or any of the other stuff. It was great for my ego, but in real terms sales none of this stuff was really changing the numbers, which remained consistent.

Interesting. Did you have at least the impression that having press features made promoters/bookers aware of you - did it have an effect gig-wise?

Having read through all this, it somehow is comforting that one should focus his/her energy predominantly on the music and on meeting people (just for the sake of it - not with a hidden agenda on how they might be useful, that is!) instead of some clever marketing ploy. However, I think it can be interesting if you use social media to let people participate in your creative process since such thing in itself can deliver value.

[tsaro]

Hey man, all I'm saying is I don't know how many times I have seen a really great artist promote his track through Facebook Advertising. Nothing wrong with that if you have complete confidence in your track IMO.

Sure, not saying there's anything wrong with posting your tracks on social media so people can find them, it's not as if you should hide your music. That's something completely different from creating hype using marketing tricks though, which I thought was what this thread was all about.

I'm surprised that you have no problems with Nina Kraviz being overpromoted. Isn't a bigger problem to the scene a huge amount of men just being present at a Nina Kraviz gig because they think shes hot, instead of a guy who is new and asks for advice on how to grow his following in a techno forum?

I thought you were arguing with her as an example of how to market yourself and be successful. The point I tried to make there, was that even though she is successful in marketing herself, it's not like that's a strategy anyone could emulate to make it big... Never said anything about whether I think it's ok or not, not really sure how you came to that conclusion. Or did you seriously think I was suggesting putting on a wig and lipstick

[TimBuys]

. Or did you seriously think I was suggesting putting on a wig and lipstick

In life you should keep your options open

[Lost to the Void]

Interesting. Did you have at least the impression that having press features made promoters/bookers aware of you - did it have an effect gig-wise?

Made no impression at all. All my gigs were abroad but my reviews were in UK magazines.
The things that really got me gigs were big DJs playing my tracks.
Sasha closed his 2003 Glastonbury set (at the height of his superstardom) with my first release. That got me a shit ton of gigs, and sales. I never sent him a promo either, so he found it himself (though I did end up having a couple of meetings with him and some further dealings, which is a whole other story).

Then Fergie (remember him?) played my second release on his radio 1 takeover show to close out his birthday set, that blew my record up.

The 3rd got Sasha, digweed, Marco V (and then got signed to a big compilation at the time), Darren emerson and a bunch of people I forget playing it.

It sort of went on like that really, it was DJs actually playing the music in the club's that blew up the records and got me gigs all over the world, I was getting booked in countries where my records were getting played.
The irony was that it was rarely any of the DJs on my promo list that were getting the record and pushing it up to be big. It was unexpected people.

So in conclusion (and I'm not bigging myself up at all, I look back on most of that music now and cringe a little) it was just making good tunes and getting them out there.
I was bumfuck nobody who had left the illegal rave scene in London and found myself directionless and really not knowing shit all other than having a punk DIY attitude and a drive to make music.
Now yes it was on vinyl, but at the time there were ridonkulous amounts of labels as this was just at the point of peak labels before the vinyl collapse, I was with a small independent distributer (who really wasn't doing a particularly good job, another long story in itself, but even then I was still selling records like hot cakes).
I ended up getting a release on one of the best selling techno labels at the time, they came to me, I didn't send any demos. If I can do that shit, anyone can (providing you make good music).

I could have capitalised more on some stuff had I had the knowledge I had now, and I definitely could have stood up for myself more as some sharks proper ripped me off back then, and I also rejected my sudden shooting up in to the "big leagues" at the time (which I would do again if I were to go back in time).

The point to learn is that good music will get played if it ends up in the right hands.

All I really did was make music that sat in a space that really wasn't that crowded. I was making music that sat between dirty underground London techno and commercial big room progressive house and no one was really doing that. Everyone from my scene was releasing acid techno on stay up forever, or routemaster, or hydraulix, but I wanted to do my own thing. The production was barely even average by today's standards, the music managed to carry it as I got better.
I knew my production needed a ton of work to be polished, but I was confident in my music, and I was honest with myself about it.

That really is it, you have to be brutal with yourself, really be honest, are you offering anything different from everyone out there.
Now getting it to the people most likely to dig it might not be easy today, but social media won't do it.
My path of doing my own thing has continued to the Nth degree, where now I only give a shit about doing my own thing and fuck any other consideration, so its not the path to follow if you want popularity.
My suggestion (if popularity is your goal) is to get your music good enough that you can get it released by a label more likely to end up in the hands of the person(s)who you think will play it, and have the reach to play it everywhere.
Or approach the person directly, develop and dialogue and see if they mind you sending them promos. BUT once again, be brutal with yourself, make sure your shit is the shit, or you can blow it by sending crap to someone.
If the production is rough but the tune is shit hot, people will forgive it, but if you send derivative mediocre shit, it will be very hard to get the same person so listen to more of your stuff.
Put in time for the slog.

Really, in my opinion, fuck all that crap of chasing people with your hand out, just make good music and enjoy making it, and share it with people who appreciate it within your network and let it make its way out there naturally.

These days if I approach a label it's because I just respect the shit out of their attitude or their asthetic, I could give a fuck what their sales are or how hot they are or whatever. I just want to work with people who are passionately making highly creative forward thinking music. And it's probably the most fun I've had musically, just doing that. Mutual respect and appreciation is ultimately much more satisfying artistically.

[rsntr]

Cool, thanks a lot for that comprehensive answer! I keep having that nagging voice in my head that tries to tell me I should do more promo work (whatever that means) and it's kind of a relieve to really stop caring about that stuff.

[winston]

The point to learn is that good music will get played if it ends up in the right hands.

All I really did was make music that sat in a space that really wasn't that crowded. I was making music that sat between dirty underground London techno and commercial big room progressive house and no one was really doing that. Everyone from my scene was releasing acid techno on stay up forever, or routemaster, or hydraulix, but I wanted to do my own thing. The production was barely even average by today's standards, the music managed to carry it as I got better.
I knew my production needed a ton of work to be polished, but I was confident in my music, and I was honest with myself about it.

That really is it, you have to be brutal with yourself, really be honest, are you offering anything different from everyone out there.
Now getting it to the people most likely to dig it might not be easy today, but social media won't do it.
My path of doing my own thing has continued to the Nth degree, where now I only give a shit about doing my own thing and fuck any other consideration, so its not the path to follow if you want popularity.
My suggestion (if popularity is your goal) is to get your music good enough that you can get it released by a label more likely to end up in the hands of the person(s)who you think will play it, and have the reach to play it everywhere.
Or approach the person directly, develop and dialogue and see if they mind you sending them promos. BUT once again, be brutal with yourself, make sure your shit is the shit, or you can blow it by sending crap to someone.
If the production is rough but the tune is shit hot, people will forgive it, but if you send derivative mediocre shit, it will be very hard to get the same person so listen to more of your stuff.
Put in time for the slog.

really interesting post, i think the part i quoted is very useful to me. thanks.

[rktic]

I keep having that nagging voice in my head that tries to tell me I should do more promo work (whatever that means) and it's kind of a relieve to really stop caring about that stuff.

That voice is a testament to how influential Social Media and its popularity contest has become. Instant gratification through likes and arbitrary playstats is nothing less than a drug. We get a dopamine kick when our uploaded track gathered 100 plays in an hour or somebody shared something of us. And it's easy to give that a higher priority than actually writing music.

Being aware of that helps.

[Hades]

just get a video with titties and it will take care of itself

youtu.be/zF2GGh_hWc0

or big juicy coks if that's your thing, i'm not judging.

youtu.be/eu2OYcgr4rM